i blog therefore i amawaster

Coming Soon... Moonrise Kingdom

2012-01-12T23:12:00.000Z

NEW MO'FO'ING WES ANDERSON FOLKS!

Adventures in Movie Watching 2011

2012-01-10T01:55:00.001Z

Right so, better late than never, I hope, here is my pick of the movies-what-I-saw that were made in 2011 or at least released in Irish cinemas in 2011 (so that's bloody 117 films then, roughly...)

Before I begin here's the previous winners of the prestigious "amawaster's film of the year award":
2010 - Inception - dir. Christopher Nolan

2009 - A Serious Man - dir. Joel & Ethan Coen
2008 - The Dark Knight - dir. Christopher Nolan
2007 - The Darjeeling Limited - dir. Wes Anderson

21 - Red State - dir. Kevin Smith

Okay, I'll admit I was worried when the guy I love because he bases entire movies around dick jokes decided to make a horror movie based around Christian extremists, but in the end my doubts were proved unjustified. The movie is, unusually for Smith, frenetically paced and shot, the only breaks in the action come in the shape of sermons from Michael Parks character, Parks really delivers a virtuoso performance by the way, and every plot point managed to surprise and unsettle the audience I was with anyway, the ending will piss off some people though.

20 - The Extraordinary Adventures of Adèle Blanc-Sec

- dir. Luc Besson

Luc Besson returned with an adaptation of a comic book series created by Jacques Tardi. Set in France in the early part of the twentieth century, Adèle Blanc-Sec, played by Louise Bourgoin, is a famous journalist and author who sets off to Egypt to find a mummy who can help her save her sister while also having to take care of a recently hatched pterodactyl that's rampaging around Paris, standard art house fare you'll agree, it's not perfect by any shape or means, some of the FX look a bit cheap, but it's great fun and Bourgoin is charming, sexy and funny throughout thankfully. Also that's Mathieu Almaric with the glasses on in that picture, believe it or not!

19 - Animal Kingdom - dir. David Michod

An absorbing film that deals with a 17 year old, Josh, played by James Frechville, being forced to deal with his extended family's criminal activity that also never manages to go where you expect it to. Guy Pearce is great as the cop who tries to help Josh, Ben Mendelsohn is also great as the extremely unstable eldest son but the film is undoubtedly stolen by Jacki Weaver, who deservedly earned an Oscar nomination for her role as the matriarch of the family who tries to keep everything and everyone together.

18 - True Grit - dir. Joel & Ethan Coen

Remaking an iconic John Wayne classic (okay I know they were working from the book) was a surprise but otherwise this is everything you'd expect from the Coens, looks and sounds amazing, the actors all having a blast. But I will say this film has absolutely no right being as funny as it actually is.

17 - 13 Assassins - dir. Takashi Miike

I must admit I've never seen a Takashi Miike film before so I wasn't quite sure what to expect, shame on me, so I felt I should put it right. 13 Assassins is quite simply a brilliant film that deals with the twisted samurai honour system at the time and has some spectacular set pieces, and plenty violent and disturbing scenes along the way mixed with some lighter moments.

16 - We Need To Talk About Kevin - dir. Lynne Ramsey

A really unsettling film that is visually stunning and deals with a mother to a killer, Kevin who goes on a killing spree in his high school. The films works mainly because of its fluid structure where the movie shows an emotionally beaten and scarred mother struggling to cope with her life and her guilt after the events, interspersed with flashbacks to Kevin's birth and childhood and all the signs that she may or may not have picked up on at the time. A tough watch but definitely worth it.

15 - Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy - dir. Tomas Alfredson

The cream of British acting talent is utilised in the latest version of John LeCarre's book. Gary Oldman leads the way as George Smiley ~~Bolger~~, an agent who is given the task to weed out a Soviet double agent high up in "the Circus" of the British Secret Service, but who is it, could it be Smiley himself or is it all a misunderstanding or a ploy to turn the service in on itself. The pace of the film may bore some and put people off, but it's high calibre filmmaking.

14 - Warrior - dir. Gavin O'Connor

This film should be crap, really it should, but it's fantastic. A story of two estranged brothers who both end up fighting in and trying to win a massive mixed martial arts contest for very different reasons. Their relationship is complicated further with their own individual relationship with their father played by Nick Nolte, a former alcoholic who both of them gave up on. It's a film that has many a sports movie cliché but manages to keep everything seeming fresh, real and emotionally true.

13 - Attack The Block - dir. Joe Cornish

Hoodies vs aliens turns out is a hundred times more entertaining than Cowboys vs Aliens. Directed by Joe Cornish and produced by Edgar Wright, this Brit sci-fi/horror/comedy may not be as scary as it could be but that's made up by some good characterisation and also some ballsy decisions when it comes to keeping the stakes high and the viewer enthralled in the plot.

12 - The Fighter - dir. David O Russell

A plot that's been done a million times over, a boxer overcomes the odds and obstacles to become an unlikely champion, is made fresh again mainly because the boxing is the least interesting thing about the film, it's a film that is overflowing with beautifully well rounded and crafted characters, even the sisters, and also manages to be ridiculously funny.

11 - Point Blank (A Bout Portant) - dir. Fred Cavaye

A French action movie that deals with a male nurse whose wife is kidnapped in front of his very eyes and is then forced to deliver a hospitalised criminal for her safe return. It's a plot that Liam Neeson, Bruce Willis or Jason Statham would love, but what could be mundane in their hands is made electrifying by the intensity that Gilles Lellouche brings to the protagonist, who realises he can't trust the people who are telling him what to do and must decide if he's better off trusting the man he is meant to deliver, played by Roschdy Zem. The pace throughout is intense and there really is not one moment or even shot that feels extraneous. Also there's a little bit of realism that you don't normally see after a huge foot-chase scene which you'll know when you see it, beautiful touch if you ask me.

10 - Take Shelter - dir. Jeff Nichols

Here's a film that could have possibly been higher up the list were it not for an annoying git with his phone going off three times during the first twenty minutes of the film sitting behind me in the cinema, took me a while to get back into it. It's a haunting study of a man struggling with apocalyptic visions, a history of mental illness in his family and small town attitudes and his need always protect his family. Michael Shannon is brilliant, of course he is, he can't be anything else but thankfully Jessica Chastain and Shea Wigham do their best as well and make sure he's not left carrying the film on his own.

9 - The Skin I Live In - dir. Pedro Almodovar

"F*cked up" would be my two word review, my longer one would be an amazing and crazy blend of melodrama, science fiction, horror and, believe it or not, even comedy. Banderas plays a skilled plastic surgeon who seems to be holding a patient against their will, for reasons which slowly become clear. Almodovar skillfully makes this movie look so beautiful to look at, which really helps when you suddenly realise what the hell is going on.

8 - Tyrannosaur - dir. Paddy Considine

A gut wrenching drama that begins with Peter Mullan's character kicking his dog to death, and gets darker from there. Mullan excels as an alcoholic with a rage problem who ends up getting to know Olivia Colman's character who works in a charity shop and whose life seems enviable by comparison but not everything is as it seems. The film has some of the most uncomfortable scenes I've ever sat through in a crowded theatre but still manages to find humanity in the darkest of places and make you feel glad you watched it.

7 - The Hedgehog (Lé hérrison) - dir. Mona Achache

From France, comes the tale of a 12 year old girl who decides that her upper middle class existence is not worth living and that if she doesn't find some beauty or meaning in life she's going to kill herself on her 13th birthday, light hearted stuff so far you'll agree, she strikes up a friendship with the building's concierge, played by Josiane Balasko, a bookworm whose life is turned upside down by the little girl and the new Asian tenant who lives upstairs. A film that sounds dark and with a central mentor relationship that could so easily feel clichéd, ends up being life affirming and a joy to watch.

6 - Moneyball - dir. Bennett Miller

From the director of Capote, comes the story of Billy Beane, played by Brad Pitt, and his attempt to revolutionise how baseball teams bought and selected players, especially as his Oakland A's team couldn't compete with the finances of bigger teams who were seen to be buying success. Jonah Hill plays the stats man, who first plants the seed of this new way of thinking, skillfully and with little fuss. What you presume would be a bog standard sports movie is actually an intriguing character study of a man determined to see the experiment he put in place succeed.

5 - The Messenger - dir. Oren Moverman

Made in 2009, but finally getting a limited release over here during this summer, this film earned Woody Harrelson an Oscar nom way back when. The film centres around Ben Foster's character who has been reassigned, after returning home from action a war hero, to work with Harrleson, their job is to let people know that their loved ones have been killed in combat (and you thought your job was tough!). The film excels in dealing with the emotional mess that comes with and is caused by such a job head on and not shirking anything that could be uncomfortable for its audience. Samantha Morton, Steve Buscemi and Jena Malone also do outstanding supporting work.

4 - Submarine - dir. Richard Ayaode

An absolute joy and pleasure to watch, this film opened the JDIFF last year and I was delighted to be there. Ayaode has directed before, music videos for the Arctic Monkeys and Super Furry Animals among others and one of the greatest TV shows ever in "Garth Marenghi's Darkplace" but this is his first feature length film. The film deals with a very self aware awkward Welsh teen who tries to deal with his first romance while also dealing with what he thinks are his parents about to split up. At times it's equally hilarious, tender, heartfelt and stylish, which is some feat by anyone's standards.

3 - Drive - dir. Nicolas Winding Refn

Okay this is where this starts to get tough, what could be the film of the year I've only slipped it into third place. A modern day "Shane", which grabs you within minutes of the opening scene, is packed many surprises, Albert Brooks being a hard ass, a cute romance followed by extreme hardcore violence that seems to come from nowhere and an outstanding soundtrack, it's a film that I'll watch and watch again and again.

2 - Senna - dir. Asif Kapidia

A spellbinding view of a sporting legend who was also a slight contradiction, a deeply spiritual and religious man who wanted to fight poverty in his homeland Brazil, but was also a fast living Formula 1 driver who enjoyed the trappings of fame and fortune only slightly less than winning races. The film illustrates his hatred of the politics within the sport and his mistrust of the people who ran it, and also their inability to deal with a maverick spirit who wanted to win every race at all costs. The film is also remarkable because it consists mainly of archive footage. The final part of the film is massively emotional and heartbreaking where it deals with the final weekend of his life where he was tragically killed in the Imola Grand Prix of 1994, and will make you cry.

1 - Blue Valentine - dir. Derek Cianfrance

If you told me at the start of the year I would be saying a film with Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams was my favourite film of the year, I probably would have called you a very rude word and we might have fallen out, let's be honest, but this was hands down the toughest watch of the year for me and it's the film that stuck in my head the longest, I'm still thinking about it months later.

I really wasn't prepared for this film when I sat down to watch it, I knew very little of the plot. Straight away you're treated to ugly scenes of a marriage in decline which are then intercut with scenes of courtship and love blossoming and every time you think you've got the emotional core or the reasoning of a character, another scene comes into make to make you question what you just thought, so its another film that uses a fast and loose narrative and structure for everything it's worth, which seems to be something I've seemed to particularly have enjoyed this year. By the end of the film I felt like I had been through this marriage and also couldn't cope with the toxic emotions each of them were throwing at each other, thankfully the end credit sequence was beautifully made and helped me get somewhat ready for getting out of my seat.

Gosling gives his best performance (seriously people, better than Drive, Crazy Stupid Love and the other 50 films he seemed to be in this year), at times seeming like the biggest asshole on the planet, then being this charming young rogue the next, it's enthralling. Williams is also outstanding seeing her both as a young woman not really sure of herself, and then as a tough take no shit cookie.

All in all, a perfect date movie.

My 30 favourite albums from 2011 [10 - 1]

2012-01-04T01:20:00.011Z

....and now the top ten:

10. Mayer Hawthorne - How Do You Do?
(Universal)
Former Stones Throw alumnus, Mayer Hawthorne is the funkiest white boy going and last year signed to Universal and released the great album that is "How Do You Do?" which features none other than Snoop Dogg on "Can't Stop", if you need more of a reason to listen I can confirm that every song's a winner but none more so than "A Long Time" where he manages to recount the history and all that was great of his hometown Detroit.
- fave track: A Long Time

9. Beirut - The Rip Tide
(Pompeii Records)
Zach Condon returned this year and managed to combine everything from Beirut's musical past and turn them into something that sounded new and fresh and a must-listen-to album. "East Harlem" and "Santa Fe" are reasons enough for buying this.
- fave track: Santa Fe

8. Stevie Jackson - (I Can't Get No) Stevie Jackson
(Banchory)
So for the last few Belle and Sebastian albums I've been more and more inclined to love the tracks that Stevie Jackson wrote rather than Stuart Murdoch's, so imagine my mixture of delight and trepidation when I heard Stevie was a doing a solo effort, and I wasn't disappointed, this is an album that takes in a number of genres but never seems forced and is as pleasurable a listen you can have.
- fave track: Press Send

7. PJ Harvey - Let England Shake
(Island)
So you're thinking "WTF!, not number 1 WTF!", well basically as brilliant as this album is and clearly there's master craftmanship going on, I rarely returned to this album throughout the year for casual listening and the next six albums on the list I listened the hell out of them, so that's why they're higher up. It is amazing that PJ Harvey keeps getting better and keeps managing to make albums you didn't realise you wanted to hear.
- fave track: The Last Living Rose

6. Gruff Rhys - Hotel Shampoo
(Turnstile Music)
The SFA front man does it again, this shouldn't be a surprise but I'm still waiting for him to do something I don't care about. He teamed up with Andy Votel to create the song that got stuck in my head the most for the last 13 months or so, in "Shark Ridden Waters", then he does mariachi pop on "Sensations in the Dark" and also creates one of his most beautiful lyrics in "If We Words, We Would Rhyme". A must own album.
- fave track: Shark Ridden Waters

5. The Stepkids - The Stepkids
(Stones Throw)
Definitely the funkiest album I listened to all year, it's also an amazingly creative album that while it takes in a lot of musical styles and goes all over the place, each song is amazingly consistently absorbing and comes together to make a great album. Turn it on, love it, repeat.
- fave track: Cup Half Full

4. Sonny & The Sunsets - Hit After Hit
(Fat Possum Records)
Sonny Smith was one of the great musical recommendations I was given this year, his creative output is frightening as any Google search will prove, but this album in particular is so tight and so good it's hard to believe, the sound is retro but it's made to sound so fresh, that's it's really hard not to just listen to over and over again. "Don't Act Dumb" and "Teen Age Thugs" are great rockers and "Girls Beware" is dreamy 50s pop but "I Wanna Do It" steals it for pure catchiness.
- fave track: I Wanna Do It

3. Liam Finn - FOMO
(Transgressive)
Neil Finn's son picked up the music gene, he's so good that I reckon he may have been genetically modified. His second album showcases him really hitting his stride, every song on this is great. "The Struggle" starts off as a fuzzy mood piece but by the chorus his gift for melody is there for all to hear, "Reckless" would have fit comfortably on a Shins album and "Cold Feet" is a classic pop song that should be on a loop on every radio station every day, but sadly isn't.
- fave track: Cold Feet

2. My Morning Jacket - Circuital
(ATO)
So a lot of people were flummoxed and baffled by "Evil Urges" so it was nice of My Morning Jacket to return with an album as good as "Circuital", it's an album that grabs you by the balls (or ears at least) from the first note with the hypnotic "Victory Dance" before heading into the great title track that even with a length of 7mins never outstays its welcome. "Wonderful (Just The Way You Are)" is Jim James at his most tender and then "Holdin' Onto Black Metal" with its sampled hook will set up home in your heart and your head and NEVER leave, it really is too good a song it's crazy.
- fave track: Holdin' On To Black Metal

1. Arctic Monkeys - Suck It And See
(Domino)
The Arctic Monkeys have gone from the band I cared the least about in the world when they started to making my favourite album of the year, which is a quite a leap. I started to get interested in them on "Humbug" but there was a lot about the album that I could simply take or leave, and you can't say that about this album. Obviously Turner's lyrics are compelling and as strong as ever but it amazes how every song sounds effortless and sounds like a band well beyond their years. Every riff is compelling, songs that shouldn't work like "Brick by Brick", it flows better than any album out this year and every song on it stood a chance of being a single. This is the album that I wanted to put on every single time I put my headphones on, so gets the privilege of being my album of the year.
- fave track: The Hellcat Spangled Shalalala

JUMP TO:

[30 - 21] - [20 - 11] - [10 - 1]

My 30 favourite albums from 2011 [20 - 11]

2012-01-04T01:20:00.006Z

20. Toro Y Moi - Underneath the Pine
(Carpark)
Anyone who has read a music blog in the last two years knows who this guy is and I have to say the hype is completely justified for once, "Underneath the Pine" is an album that shows massive range and has some of the funkiest beats this side of the seventies, particularly in "Still Sound" and "New Beat"
- fave track: Still Sound

19. Miles Kane - Colour of the Trap
(Columbia)
Alex Turner's bessie mate put out a solid album, first single "Come Closer" was chosen as the song for the Arthur's Day ad campaign which suggest he has a knack for uptempo catchy pop which he does, but it's when he channels the spirit of Marc Bolan on "My Fantasy" that he really hits the heights.
- fave track: My Fantasy

18. Real Estate - Days
(Domino)
If you like your indie rock to jangle like early Johnny Marr/The Smiths you'll like this, it's quite a hypnotic album as well you'll find the songs stuck in your head on a loop before too long.
- fave track: It's Real

17. Voluntary Butler Scheme - The Grandad Galaxy
(Split Records)
Rob Jones is a one man music machine from the Midlands in the UK and his second album sounds like a dude having great fun in his bedroom (not like that). His knack for melody is only matched by his ability to create some cool dreamy music, it's hard to pick a favourite from this album when everything on it is so good.
- fave track: To The Height Of A Frisbee

16. Dale Earnhardt Jr Jr - It's A Corporate World
(Quite Scientific)
Dale Eanhardt Jr Jr are a duo from Detroit who have named themselves after Dale Earnhardt Jr who Nascar fans will recognise. They manage to mix pop hooks, loops and cool harmonies that will make you wonder why others can't do it as good.
- fave track: Vocal Chords

15. Jape - Ocean of Frequency
(Music Is For Losers)
Richie Egan's solo albums keeping getting better and better. The only problem I have with this album is that "Scorpio" is such an amazing song, and in this iTunes age, is so easy to just put on repeat after repeat, that it took me ages to take in the album fully as a whole, but when I did I wasn't disappointed.
- fave track: Scorpio

14. Stephen Malkmus & the Jicks - Mirror Traffic
(Domino)
Beck produced the first post Pavement reunion release from Malkmus and they've created an album that contains more great hooks than a fishing tackle store (I'm getting tired...) and also some of his best and freshest sounding songs in a long long while
- fave track: Stick Figures In Love

13. Wilco - The Whole Love
(dBpm)
I know what you're thinking, Mick hasn't put the Wilco album in the top ten, what the hell is going on? Well it's straightforward enough, even though they've written some of their best songs in a long time, particularly of a rocking variety "I Might", Standing O" and "Dawned on Me", the album didn't really click with me, which means I'll probably end liking this a lot more in a few months time if past experiences with Wilco albums are anything to go by.
- fave track: I Might

12. The Roots - Undun
(DefJam)
Evryone's favourite TV house band released an amazing album towards to the end of the year, which believe it or not is inspired by a Sufjan Stevens song "Redford" and is pretty much the Roots doing what the Roots do really well and that should be enough for you to go and listen to it.
- fave track: Tip the Scale

11. The Black Keys - El Camino
(Nonesuch)
The Black Keys are Dan Auerbcah and Patrick Carney and have followed up last years fantastic album "Brothers" with an even tighter, more polished, more rock album "El Camino". If you like your blues and rock combined this is the album for you, every song is extremely catchy so get ready to hear them on every promo, ad or trailer that's made in the next year or so.
- fave track: Nova Baby

JUMP TO:

[30 - 21] - [20 - 11] - [10 - 1]

My 30 favourite albums from 2011 [30 - 21]

2012-01-04T01:20:00.005Z

So here goes my list of albums what I liked from last year, fave tracks are all linked so you can listen to them.

30. Princess Chelsea - Lil' Golden Book
(Lil' Chief Records)
New Zealand songstress Chelsea Nikkel impresses on her debut album mixing classic and modern sounds to great effect, and any album that has a song called "Monkey Eats Bananas" deserves a listen.
- fave track: The Cigarette Duet

29. Bell X1 - Bloodless Coup
(BellyUp Records)

BellX1 continue to make very good albums that are always worth a listen, my only gripe with this one is that every song is at least four and a half minutes so the album is a bit too long.

- fave track: Velcro

28. Idiot Glee - Paddywhack
(Moshi Moshi)
This album was a pure impulse buy, knew nothing about him and it turned out to be a really cool album and comes across like a more loop/keyboard obsessed Jens Lekman.
- fave track: FOE

27. Peter Bjorn & John - Gimme Some
(Cooking Vinyl)
Everyone's favourite Swede pop rockers returned this year with a decent effort that made for a much easier listen than their last album, and in "Second Chance" released one of the best songs of 2011 that no one really listened to unfortunately, but you can, now, go on, do it.
- fave track: Second Chance

26. Fleet Foxes - Helplessness Blues
(Bella Union)
An album that's probably every bit as good as its predecessor if not better, however didn't really grab my attention as much as it should have this year.
- fave track: Bedouin Dress

25. Those Darlins - Screws Get Loose
(Oh Wow Dang)
If you're looking for impressive catchy girl (and a dude on drums) rock, they're yer only man.
- fave track: Screws Get Loose

24. Middle Brother - Middle Brother
(Partisan)
Featuring members of Deer Tick, Dawes and Delta Spirit, and as supergroups go they manage to come across as a more fun Monsters of Folk
- fave track: Me Me Me

23. Tennis - Cape Dory
(Fat Possum)
Tennis are a husband and wife team who get inspired and write songs when they're sailing, sounds horrible but is anything but. They specialise in catchy melodies, guitar hooks and sweet vocals.
- fave track: Marathon

22. The Phoenix Foundation - Buffalo
(Memphis Industries)
Another talented band from New Zealand that specialise in moody, well crafted pop, are largely unknown this side of the world unfortunately, although they recently appeared on Jools Holland. They first came to my attention when they provided the soundtrack to "Eagle Vs Shark", a movie which Jemaine Clement fans may know.
- fave track: Bitte Bitte

21. Jonny - Jonny
(Turnstile Music)
Norman Blake and Euros Childs coming together was a aural delight, especially for fans of Teenage Fanclub and Gorky's Zygotic Mynci, but to sum it up simply just sounds like two great songwriters having fun.
- fave track: Candyfloss

JUMP TO:

[30 - 21] - [20 - 11] - [10 - 1]

In December I...

2011-12-31T22:51:00.001Z

...watched the following films:
50/50 - dir. Jonathan Levine
Win Win - dir. Tom McCarthy
The Devil's Double - dir. Lee Tamahori
Jack Goes Boating - dir. Philip Seymor Hoffman
13 Assassins - dir. Takashi Miike
Unknown - dir. Jaume Collet-Serra
Take Shelter - dir. Jeff Nichols
Morning Glory - dir. Roger Michell
Rise of the Planet of the Apes - dir. Rupert Wyatt
The Tree of Life - dir. Terrence Malick
Hugo 3D - dir. Martin Scorsese
Buried - dir. Rodrigo Cortés
NEDS - dir. Peter Mullan
The Help - dir. Tate Taylor
Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows - dir. Guy Ritchie

...got the following music:
The Black Keys - El Camino
The Roots - Undun
We Cut Corners - Today I Realised I Could Go Home Backwards
Herman Dune - Strange Moosic
Lykke Li - Wounded Rhymes
Cornershop - Cornershop & The Double Groove Of

...listened to the following comedy:
Norm MacDonald - Me Doing Standup
Patton Oswalt - Werewolves and Lollipops
Steven Wright - I Have A Pony
Doug Benson - Professional Humoredian
Marc Maron - This Has To Be Funny

...also watched the following:
Breaking Bad S2
The Larry Sanders Show S2
Angelos Epithemiou & Friends Live (DVD)

...saw Aloe Blacc at the Olympia

2011 Video Roundup #6 - And The Winners Are...

2011-12-19T11:40:00.001Z

Radiohead - "Lotus Flower"
-dir. Garth Jennings

"Hold me closer, tiny dancer..."

Beastie Boys - Fight For You Right (Revisited)
-dir. Adam Yauch

The "Valentine's Day"/"New Year's Eve" of music videos, but instead actually worth a watch..

2011 Video Roundup #5 - New Zealand Version

2011-12-16T00:17:00.001Z

Liam Finn - "Jump Your Bones"
- dir. Derek Henderson

There's just not enough videos just featuring drumming...

Princess Chelsea - "The Cigarette Duet"
- dir. Jonathan Bree

How to be classy and hypnotic in a hot tub....

2011 Video Roundup #4 - The Oirish Edition

2011-12-15T10:10:00.002Z

Jape - "The Oldest Mind"
- dir. Brendan Canty

Let's just call this "The Tree of Life" of music videos this year, not as long obviously...

Tieranniesaur - "Here Be Monsters"
- dir. Bowsie Workshop

Kids can be so cruel...

James Vincent McMorrow - "Sparrow and the Wolf"
- dir. Tusk Prodcutions

This video was put together using outtakes from the original unseen pilot of "Hollyoaks"... only kidding...

2011 Video Roundup #3

2011-12-14T12:13:00.002Z

Beirut - "Santa Fe"
- dir. Sunset Television

Love ain't cheap or financially rewarding....

The Voluntary Butler Scheme - "Do The Hand Jive"
- dir. Ryan Owen

Don't mess with these grannies.... also features Brian Hibbard of the Flying Pickets fame and from the same guy who directed Jonny's video from yesterday.

Herman Dune - Tell Me Something I Don't Know
- dir. Toben Seymour

Jon Hamm and a blue yeti, a bit like a modern day Orville and Keith Harris

2011 Video Roundup #2

2011-12-12T22:52:00.001Z

Battles - "My Machines"
- dir. Daniels

Battles. Gary Numan. Guy falling down an escalator for four minutes. What more do you want?

Jonny - "Candyfloss"
- dir. Ryan Owen

Miming's hard when eating.

Real Estate - "It's Real"
- dir. Weird Days

Dogs. Lots of 'em.

2011 Video Roundup #1

2011-12-11T23:41:00.001Z

So it's this time of the year again where I throw up some of the vids I've been digging over the year.

The Stepkids -"Legend In My Own Mind"
- dir. Tom Scharpling

"I like the hip hop!" Fun video with a cameo from The Daily Show's Wyatt Cenac and some other "celebrities".

Mayer Hawthorne - "A Long Time"
- dir. Henry DeMaio

Former label mate of The Stepkids (Stones Throw Records) delivers his homage/love letter to Detroit and Motown.

The Black Keys - "Lonely Boy"
- dir. Jesse Dylan

Possibly the song of the year, gets one the biggest smile inducing videos of the year, even Ellen DeGeneres digs it.

In November I...

2011-11-29T20:43:00.001Z

...saw the following films:
Who Is Harry Nilsson (And Why Is Everyone Talkin' About Him) - dir. John Scheinfeld
Arthur - dir. Jason Winer
Tucker and Dale vs Evil - dir. Eli Craig
The Messenger - dir. Oren Moverman
I'm Not There - dir. Todd Haynes
Somewhere - dir. Sofia Coppola
Burke & Hare - dir. John Landis
Hanna - dir. Joe Wright
Insidious - dir. James Wan
Skyline - dir. The Brothers Strause
Attack The Block - dir. Joe Cornish
The Rum Diary - dir. Bruce Robinson
Sucker Punch - dir. Zack Snyder
Pearl Jam Twenty - dir. Cameron Crowe
Stander - dir. Bronwen Hughes
The Women on the 6th Floor (Les femmes du 6ème étage) - dir. Phillippe Le Guay
Love Songs (Les chansons d'amour) - dir. Chrisophe Honoré
Blue State - dir. Marshall Lewy
Limitless - dir. Neil Burger
Ceremony - dir. Max Winkler
Moneyball - dir. Bennett Miller

...got the following music:
Harry Nilsson - Nilsson Schmilsson
Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. - It's A Corporate World
Real Estate - Days

...listened to the following:
Doug Benson - Potty Mouth
Michael Ian Black - Very Famous
Mitch Hedberg - Do You Believe in Gosh?
Mitch Hedberg - Mitch All Together
Mitch Hedberg - Strategic Grill Locations
Paul F. Tompkins - Impersonal
Paul F. Tompkins - Freak Wharf
Marc Maron - Tickets Still Available
Patton Oswalt - My Weakness Is Strong
Patton Oswalt - Finest Hour
Todd Barry - From Heaven

...saw Dave Gorman's Powerpoint Presentation and Jay Foreman at Vicar St.
...saw Ireland draw 1-1 Estonia at the Aviva and qualify for the Euro 2012 Championships.
...saw Reginald D.Hunter and Steve Hughes at Vicar St.

Made Me Laugh: Paul F. Tompkins - Daylight Savings Time

2011-11-09T14:55:00.003Z

From one of my favourite American comedians and regular contributor to some great podcasts including Doug Loves Movies, Comedy Bang Bang and his own the Pod F.Tomkast. Taken from his 2007 album Impersonal released on AST Records.

twitter: @PFTompkins
website: http://www.paulftompkins.com

In October I...

2011-10-31T11:27:00.000Z

...saw the following films:
Mammoth - dir. Lukas Moodysson
Tell No One (Ne le dis à personne) - dir. Guillame Canet
Midnight In Paris - dir. Woody Allen
Crazy, Stupid, Love - dir. Glenn Ficarra, John Requa
Don't Be Afraid of the Dark - dir. Troy Nixey
Red State - dir. Kevin Smith
POM Wonderful presents The Greatest Movie Ever Sold - dir. Morgan Spurlock
Tyrannosaur - dir. Paddy Considine
Warrior - dir. Gavin O'Connor
Melancholia - dir. Lars Von Trier
The Tree - dir. Julie Bertuccelli
The Freebie - dir. Katie Aselton
The Ides of March - dir. George Clooney
Sleeping Beauty - dir. Julia Leigh
Miss Bala - dir. Gerardo Naranjo
The Skin I Live In - dir. Pedro Almodovar

...got the following long players:
Jape - Ocean of Frequency
The Stepkids - The Stepkids
Drive OST
Mayer Hawthorne - How Do You Do?
Lisa Hannigan - Passenger
Stevie Jackson - I Can't Get No (Stevie Jackson)
Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin - Tape Club
Princess Chelsea - Lil' Golden Book
The Volunteer Butler Scheme - The Grandad Galaxy
The Volunteer Butler Scheme - At Breakfast, Dinner, Tea
She & Him - A Very She & Him Christmas

...read the following book:
Tina Fey - Bossypants

...also saw the following:
...saw Ireland beat Armenia 2-1 at the Aviva
...saw West Ham beat Blackpool 4-0 at Upton Park
...saw Demetri Martin (with Levi McDougall) at Leicester Square Theatre and (with Levi McDougall and David O'Doherty) at Vicar St
...saw Micky Flanagan at Vicar St
...saw Wilco (twice) with support Jonathan Wilson (and a guest apperance by Nick Lowe on the second night!) at the Roundhouse in London. (I also shouted "Stephen!" at the Saturday night gig at Adam Buxton and got a "Just coming!" back!! Made a great gig into an amazing gig, youtube video below explains all)

TDMTLTUT #57 - Ernie Graham - For A Little While

2011-10-27T23:04:00.002+01:00

Ernie Graham came from Belfast and was a member of Eire Apparent before releasing his first solo album "Ernie Graham" (why come up with album titles when you don't need to) in 1971 which this is taken from. "For a Little While" is well worth six minutes of your time especially if you like beautiful songs with lots of 'la la la la's in them.

Princess Chelsea - The Cigarette Duet

2011-10-26T12:42:00.000+01:00

Been hypnotised by this song for a good few weeks now so decided I'd finally post it. Princess Chelsea hails from New Zealand and is signed to Lil Chief Records, home to The Ruby Suns, formerly Lawrence Arabia and also The Brunettes, Jonathan Bree's band (he's the guy in the hot tub and he directed the video!).

Her debut album "Lil' Golden Book" is out now and is really worth a spin, you won't regret it.

Coming Soon - Anonymous

2011-10-13T13:46:00.000+01:00

Roland Emmerich + Shakespeare = Anonymous = What the....?

(You can get some) Stevie Jackson

2011-10-13T12:50:00.002+01:00

Stevie Jackson, yes THAT Stevie Jackson of Belle & Sebastian has finally released an album of his own. I say finally because for the last few B&S albums, the songs I've liked the most have invariably been his songs (no offence Stu). It's fine work too, Kurosawa and Try Me (below) are proving early favourites of mine anyway.

"(I can't get no) Stevie Jackson" is available now on Banchory to download, physical copies are available on the 24th Oct.

(I Can't Get No) Preview by banchory

In September I...

2011-09-30T23:08:00.001+01:00

...watched the following films:
Fright Night 3D - dir. Craig Gillespie
Animal Kingdom - dir. David Michod
Super - dir. James Gunn
The Hedgehog (Lé hérrison) - dir. Mona Achache
Devil - dir. John Erick Dowdle
30 Minutes or Less - dir. Ruben Fleischer
Friends with Benefits - dir. Will Gluck
Page One: Inside The New York Times - dir. Andrew Rossi
Drive - dir. Nicolas Winding Refn

...got the following long players:
Wilco - The Whole Love
Josh Rouse and The Long Vacations - Josh Rouse and The Long Vacations
Laua Marling - A Creature I Don't Know
Paul McGrath - Handle With Care

... saw The Diet of Worms "CULT" at the Lir Theatre
... saw Rep of Ireland draw 0-0 with Slovakia at the Aviva
... saw Man Utd beat Chelsea 3-1 at Old Trafford

In August I...

2011-09-02T10:25:00.000+01:00

...saw the following films:
Captain America: The First Avenger - dir. Joe Johnston
Super 8 - dir. JJ Abrams
Get Low - dir. Aaron Schneider
Defendor - dir. Peter Stebbings
Project Nim - dir. James Marsh
Mid August Lunch - dir. Gianni Di Gregorio
Cowboys & Aliens - dir. Jon Favreau

... got the following music:
Beirut - The Rip Tide
They Might Be Giants - Join Us
Washed Out - Within and Without
Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks - Mirror Traffic
Pugwash - The Olympus Sound
The Brian Jonestown Massacre - The Singles Collection (1992-2011)

...also said goodbye to Paul Scholes and nearly cried at his testimonial in Old Trafford where United beat the New York Cosmos 6-0.

TDMTLTUT #56 - Lene Lovich - Lucky Number

2011-08-13T00:44:00.002+01:00

Released on Stiff Records, Lucky Number was a number 3 (lucky for some....................sorry) hit in the UK in 1979. It was originally released as a B-side the year before to a cover of Tommy James and the Shondells' "I Think We're Alone Now" that was eventually made extremely famous by Tiffany, although I do prefer Lene's version.

Coming (Not So) Soon...

2011-08-11T00:13:00.006+01:00

The Sitter - dir. David Gordon Green - Due to be released in Ireland - 27th Jan 2012!
Starring: Jonah Hill, Sam Rockwell

That's right, some extremely funny and talented people have thought it would be a great idea to go ahead and basically remake "Adventures in Babysitting" and turn it into an R-rated comedy and who are we to stop them, considering I laughed out loud three or four times while watching the trailer.

Tower Heist - dir. Brett Ratner - Due to be released in Ireland 4th November 2011
Starring: Ben Stiller, Eddie Murphy, Matthew Broderick, Casey Affleck, Alan Alda

What a cast! Who knew the cinematic event you weren't waiting for was going to be this random assortment of people. Seriously hope it's in 3-D, just to top off the naffness. I must say it is good to see Alan Alda and also Michael Pena in anything though, so I'm sure I'll end up going. Also Casey Affleck must really like being in heist movies or something...

Battleship - dir. Peter Berg - Due to be released next summer!
Starring: Taylor Kitsch, Alexander Skarsgård, Liam Neeson, Brooklyn Decker

Yep they're making Battleship, the game, into a bloody movie!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

In July I...

2011-07-31T23:06:00.000+01:00

...watched the following films:
I'm Still Here - dir. Casey Affleck
Bobby Fischer Against The World - dir. Liz Garbus
The Guard - dir. John Michael McDonagh
Holy Rollers - dir. Kevin Asch
Beginners - dir. Mike Mills
The Big Picture - dir. Eric Lartigau
Horrible Bosses - dir. Seth Gordon
Machete - dir. Ethan Maniquis, Robert Rodriguez
Piranha (2010) - dir. Alexandre Aja

...also watched the following
The League - Series 1 & 2
Game of Thrones - Series 1
Louie - Series 1

...also saw the following do their thangs:
...the Mystery Jets and The Charlatans at Jamie Oliver's Big Feastival in Clapham Common
...Pulp, Grace Jones, The Naked and the Famous, The Hives, The Horrors, Roky Erickson, Devotchka, Cashier No.9 at the Wireless Festival in Hyde Park
...Lou Reed in The Hammersmith HMV Apollo
...Tim & Eric with Brody Stevens and Jarlath Regan and then again with Nick Thune and David O'Doherty at the Vodafone Comedy Festival in the Iveagh Gardens
...Matt Berry, Mark Morriss and Pugwash at Whelans

TDMTLTUT #55 - Osmonds - Crazy Horses

2011-07-26T22:01:00.000+01:00

From the most unlikely of sources came the most rocking tune ever written about car pollution.

New Allo Darlin' - Darren

2011-07-13T14:31:00.000+01:00

New single, get it from their bandcamp by clicking below or at least just listen to it....the fact you're on this blog means you're bored...go on....give it a listen....go on...

<p>&amp;amp;lt;a href="http://allodarlin.bandcamp.com/album/darren"&amp;amp;gt;Darren by Allo Darlin'&amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;gt;</p>

brainfart- Hollywood Building Site

2011-07-10T17:56:00.002+01:00

me and few famous film directors are gonna to build a house together, here's who's on board:

Milos Forman (he's in charge)
John Carpenter
Oliver Stone Mason
Stanley Kubrick Layer
Woody Allen Keys
The Traffic Coen Brothers
Clint Eastwood Saw
M Night Light Shyamalan
Michael Mann-size Tissues (in case anyone gets the sniffles)

If you can think of anyone else I should get involved let me know....

Coming Soon - Bobby Fischer Against The World

2011-07-10T15:01:00.000+01:00

Hot on the heels of Senna comes another enthralling documentary about a sporting genius, while Bobby Fischer's story is very different it is equally just as tragic. The film details his meteoric rise to national and international fame at an extremely young age and how he captured the imagination of the world in a Cold War era when he, an American, took on the Russians at chess, a sport they dominated, and also deals with his struggle to cope with his gift and his fame. There's also some amazing archive footage that shows just how far sports broadcasting has come in the last forty years or so.

Opens in the IFI on the 15th July [see times]

TDMTLTUT #54 - Pulp - Babies

2011-07-08T18:55:00.001+01:00

Had the absolute honour of witnessing Pulp live last weekend in Hyde Park, crowd and band were on top form. Was reminded how Pulp were one of a very few bands that managed to keep the tradition of sleazy pop songs going, Monsieur Gainsbourg would have been proud.

Also, on a sadder note, just realised it's been 17 years since I first saw this on the ITV Chart Show...balls!

brainfart

2011-07-08T15:14:00.000+01:00

Bad ideas for Television Shows:

No Shit Sherlock - All about an uptight detective with constipation
Star Trek: Keeping Up with the Cardassians
Murder, She Tweeted
Power City - Irish soap set in an electrical store
All Watched Over By Yer Man from Will & Grace
Haw-hee - Kids cartoon about a donkey Taoiseach
Ready Steady Book - novelists have 20 minutes to write a book with a minor celebrity.
Agatha Christie's Poirot SVU
Surprise Surprise - Cilla Black telling people they're adopted
Teh Dyslexic Vampire Dairies - tough read
So You Think You Can Dance Around Handbags
The Big Bang Theory
Boners
The Wanking Dead
Postmodern Family - pretentious sitcom

Mid Term Reports: - My favourite songs from 2011 so far

2011-07-06T14:56:00.000+01:00

In no particular order (well apart from My Morning Jacket definitely first....)

My Morning Jacket - Holdin' On To Black Metal

toro y moi - Still Sound

Sonny Smith's 100 Records Volume 2: I Miss The Jams - I Wanna Do It - Earth Girl Helen Brown by Turn Up Records

Jonny - Candyfloss

Alex Turner - Piledriver Waltz

Peter Bjorn & John - Second Chance

Those Darlins - Screws Get Loose

Wilco - I Might

Liam Finn - Cold Feet

Cotton Jones - Egg On A Sea

In June I...

2011-06-30T14:57:00.000+01:00

...watched the following films:
Shakes the Clown - dir. Bobcat Goldthwait
Bee Movie - dir. Steve Hickner, Simon J. Smith
Big Momma's House 2 - dir. John Whitesell
Senna - dir. Asif Kapidia
X-Men: First Class - dir. Matthew Vaughn
City Island - dir. Raymond de Felitta
Everybody's Fine - dir. Kirk Jones
The Girl From Monaco - dir. Anne Fontaine
The Chorus - dir. Christophe Barratier
Dedication - dir. Justin Theroux
The Green Hornet - dir. Michel Gondry
Witness - dir. Peter Weir
I Am Comic - dir. Jordan Brady
The Girl Who Kicked The Hornet's Nest - dir. Daniel Alfredson
Edison - dir. David J. Burke
The Wrong Guy - dir. David Steinberg
Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines - dir. Jonathan Mostow
Bridesmaids - dir. Paul Feig
A Bout Portant (Point Blank) - dir. Fred Cavaye
Bad Teacher - dir. Jake Kasdan
Mammuth - dir. Gustave de Kervern, Benoît Delépine
Barney's Version - dir. Richard J. Lewis

...also watched the following:
Louis C.K. - Hilarious
Boardwalk Empire - Season 1
Parks and Recreation - Season 1
Treme - Season 1

...got the following music:
My Morning Jacket - Circuital
Arctic Monkeys - Suck It & See
The Replacements - The Best of the Replacements: Don't You Know Who I Think I Was?
Bon Iver - Bon Iver
Liam Finn - FOMO
Those Darlins - Screws Get Loose
Miles Kane - Colour of the Trap
Middle Brother - Middle Brother

...saw John Mellencamp at the Grand Canal Theatre
(which included revamped versions of hits like this one)

Out Now - Liam Finn - FOMO

2011-06-29T15:38:00.000+01:00

"Son of Neil" returns with a new album that's really rather damn good, it's a collection of finely crafted pop songs dressed up in some cool synths, fuzz and guitars. If you buy it on itunes at the mo, you get his BARB album as well which has Lawrence Arabia or James Milne among others playing with him.

TDMTLTUT #53 - Atari

2011-06-21T23:51:00.003+01:00

That's way too much star power, also makes me realise how much I miss Three's Company. Also feel free to watch/listen to The Spinto Band sing about them, Atari's not Three's Company....

Coming (Not So) Soon...

2011-06-20T00:08:00.000+01:00

Take Shelter - dir. Jeff Nichols - Starring: Michael Shannon, Jessica Chastain, Shea Wigham

Michael Shannon has the greatest face in movies and televison at the moment, it's just a fact. After stealing both Revolutionary Road and Boardwalk Empire from under the noses of some very good actors, comes this indie drama which comes out before he will be better known to everyone as General Zod in the new Superman Man of Steel movie. The film deals with a man who begins to see apocalyptic visions and sets about building a shelter for his family, which worries everyone around him.

50/50 - dir. Jonathan Levine - Starring: Joseph Gordon Levitt, Seth Rogen, Anna Kendrick.

Cancer comedy, could be funny, could be annoying, could be overly sentimental, we won't find out till late in the year anyway, but the cast involved gives me the optimism that it will be worth watching.

A Little Help - dir. Michael J. Weithorn - Starring: Jenna Elfman, Chris O'Donnell

From the creator of The King of Queens, comes a dramedy that seems to be in the mould of what James L.Brooks used to be great at. Jenna Fischer stars as a mother whose life is suddenly thrown off course and who then gets herself caught up in a web of lies at the same time as she tries tries to put her life and her son's back together.

Coming Soon...

2011-06-12T17:39:00.001+01:00

...otherwise known as the Bateman edition.

The Change Up - dir. David Dobkin - Released in Ireland 26th August
Starring: Jason Bateman, Ryan Reynolds, Olivia Wilde, Leslie Mann

A BODY SWAP MOVIE! Is that a genre of movie we should really be bothering to bring back? As the trailer says it comes from the director of Wedding Crashers and the writers of The Hangover and although initially sceptical, after seeing the cast and then the trailer I'm genuinely giddy for this to come out.

Will not be satisifed though without a cameo from either Fred Savage or Judge Reinhold, and anyone who doesn't know what I'm referring to, shame on you.

Horrible Bosses - dir. Seth Gordon - Released in Ireland 22nd July
Starring: Jason Bateman, Charlie Day, Jason Sudeikis, Jennifer Aniston, Colin Farrell, Kevin Spacey, Jamie Foxx

From the director of the King of Kong (YAY!) comes this little dark comedy dealing with people with... eh...well... horrible bosses. Fans of Going The Distance may rejoice at the re-teaming of Day and Sudeikis, but it's my love of Bateman playing someone downtrodden and also Kevin Spacey being a douche (hate him when he's anything but playing a dickhead) is enough to tempt me, oh and Jennifer Aniston looks well....

You gotta see this ... Shakes the Clown

2011-06-12T15:37:00.000+01:00

"Loved by children. Desired by women. Adored by bartenders everywhere" a tag line that should prepare you for this movie, but doesn't quite do the job it should, "the Citizen Kane of Alcoholic Clown Movies" as it was dubbed by Betsy Sherman of The Boston Globe an opinion also echoed by Marty Scorsese(!) is way more appropriate.

Written and directed by Bobcat Goldthwait (yep, Zed from the Police Academy movies!) who has since gone onto to write and direct low budget, witty, Sundance-friendly, beautifully made movies such as Sleeping Dogs and World's Greatest Dad, and also become a very successful TV director (Jimmy Kimmel, Important Things with Demetri Martin, The Man Show) I thought it would be interesting to go back and see his first attempt at movie making.

The film shows all clowns, who never take off their makeup ever, to be socially maladjusted miserable alcoholics or cocaine addled morons, who are also quite clannish and hateful to each other which might be a metaphor for what stand up comedians or any type of entertainers actually are like. The plot deals with Shakes (played by Bobcat himself) a clown who hates children and loves drinking and who thinks he's next in line to present the big kids TV show but who is overlooked for Binky who is played by none other than SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS himself, Tom Kenny, and the film then deals with the bitter rivalry that develops between the two, which even escalates to Shakes being framed for murder.

Incidentally, this is the film where R.E.M. get the title Binky The Doormat as you can see for yourself from the scene below.

This film also stars a lot of famous people, Adam Sandler, extremely early on his career, is actually quite good as a shy clown with no self confidence. Florence Henderson, the mother from the Brady Bunch, is in it early on as one of Shake's conquests. Kathy Griffin plays Shakes girlfriend's best friend. Paul Dooley, Larry David's father in-law in Curb, plays his agent and Robin Williams cameos as the ridiculously loud and talkative mime instructor.

The film is not a masterpiece by any stretch of the imagination, a lot of scenes are set up and go absolutely nowhere, but I can honestly say you will see nothing like this ever in your life, the again maybe the trailer, below, might be enough for you....

TDMTLTUT #52 - Mental As Anything - Live It Up

2011-06-07T01:31:00.000+01:00

THEN:

NOW:

"hey there you with the sad face, come up to my place and live it up...."

Out Now - Senna

2011-06-06T21:30:00.000+01:00

Growing up watching Formula 1, I was aware I was watching a genius at work in the shape of Ayrton Senna. While I was watching the sport on the BBC the slant was towards Nigel Mansell and Damon Hill and the Jordan team, but Senna was the one who stood out. I even had his game Super Monaco GP II on the mega drive where his voice would appear to say "Final Lap" near the end of each race, which after his death in 1994 became somewhat poignant. Of course as a child I didn't fully appreciate the man and why he was so special, I just liked him because he was the best.

Now director Asif Kapadia has released a documentary which uses only archive footage and the audio from interviews with some of the people who knew him best to tell the story of a national and international icon and show all the complexities about him and his situation. The documentary reveals fairly early on he was a deeply religious and spiritual man so the money-soaked, over-political world of Formula 1 racing was not an easy fit for him. It's also interesting that this film is released around the same that the corruption in FIFA is in the news.

His bitter rivalry with Alain Prost is shown in intense detail as is some of the criticism he faced from people from within the sport for his refusal to do what he was told and also his need to try and win every race no matter what the risks. The final part of the film is massively emotional and heartbreaking where it deals with the final weekend of his life where he was tragically killed in the Imola Grand Prix of 1994, and will make you cry.

Go see it.

Now Showing in the IFI and Cineworld Parnell Street

In May I...

2011-05-31T23:06:00.013+01:00

...watched the following films:
Little White Lies (Les petits mouchoirs) - dir. Guillaume Canet
The Marc Pease Experience - dir. Todd Louiso
Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps - dir. Oliver Stone
The Extraordinary Adventures of Adèle Blanc-Sec - dir. Luc Besson
Your Highness - dir. David Gordon Green
Thor - dir. Kenneth Branagh
Unstoppable - dir. Tony Scott
Along Came A Spider - dir. Lee Tamahori
I Could Never Be Your Woman - dir. Amy Heckerling
It's Complicated - dir. Nancy Meyers
The Tourist - dir. Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck
Law Abiding Citizen - dir. F. Gary Gray
The Romantics - dir. Galt Niederhoffer
Surrogates - dir. Jonathan Mostow
Julia's Eyes - dir. Guillem Morales
The Book of Eli - dir. Albert & Allen Hughes
The Hangover Part II - dir. Todd Phillips
Red Hill - dir. Patrick Hughes
The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo - dir. Niels Arden Oplev
The Girl Who Played With Fire - dir. Daniel Alfredson

...bought the following music:

Paddywhacked - Idiot Glee
Angles - The Strokes
Kiss Each Other Clean - Iron & Wine
Sonny & the Sandwitches - Sonny Smith
Story of an Earth Girl - Earth Girl Helen Brown
Sonny Smith's 100 Records Vol II: I Miss The Jams

...saw Porto beat Braga 1-0 to claim the Europa league and also the Republic of Ireland beat Scotland 1-0 and claim the Carling Nations Cup at the Aviva Stadium

TDMTLTUT #51 - Fat Frogs

2011-05-18T16:30:00.000+01:00

I miss them.......

Coming Soon...

2011-05-11T00:09:00.002+01:00

more indie dramedies for your perusal...

Win Win - dir. Thomas McCarthy (Released in Ireland May 20th)
Starring: Paul Giamatti, Amy Ryan, Bobby Cannavale, Jeffrey Tambor.

Thomas McCarthy (who is a good actor incidentally) who brought us the fantastic The Station Agent and the equally accomplished The Visitor returns with another character actor, this time Paul Giamatti, as his lead. Giamatti plays a lawyer with dubious business practices who through these dodgy dealings discovers a star wrestler which he wants to use for his struggling team that he manages, but things are never straightforward.

Everything Must Go - dir. Dan Rush
Starring: Will Ferrell, Rebecca Hall, Laura Dern, Christopher Jordan Wallace

Will Ferrell seems to be in Stranger Than Fiction mode playing an relapsed alcoholic who loses his job and whose wife and kid leave him so he decides to sell everything he owns, co-starring with Notorious B.I.G's son, no less.

Our Idiot Brother - dir. Jesse Peretz
Starring: Paul Rudd, Elizabeth Banks, Zooey Deschanel

Paul Rudd plays an idealistic stoner who after being arrested has to move in with his sisters who then take turns passing him on to each other.

Have You Met... The Morning Benders

2011-05-09T13:55:00.002+01:00

The Morning Benders are another band who manage to make classic sounding almost sunshine pop music feel new and fresh. Last year they released "Big Echo" on Rough Trade, an album which I've grown to love more and more with each listen, and I loved it on first listen, so that's a lot. I've already posted their video for "Promises" which was one of my favourite videos of last year so here's my other two favourite tracks from the album, the truly brilliant "Excuses" and "Cold War".

They also released "Talking Through Tin Cans" in 2008 which features the fanatastic "Dammit Anna" and "Waiting For A War".

The band also do a fine line in covers on their Soundcloud including this fine Cardigans cover.
The Morning Benders - lovefool (cardigans cover) by The Morning Benders

Recently they released the Japan Echo Ep with full proceeds going to the Japan Society’s Earthquake Relief Fund

So if you like what you hear, get involved while stocks last.

Coming Soon...

2011-05-07T23:08:00.000+01:00

30 Minutes or Less - dir. Ruben Fleischer
Starring: Jesse Eisenberg, Aziz Ansari and Danny McBride

From the persons who brought you Zombieland comes a film that deals with a pizza delivery driver forced to rob a bank within 30 minutes and also stars a shed load of people I really like, so should be good.

Crazy, Stupid, Love. - dir. Glenn Ficarra, John Requa
Starring: Steve Carell, Ryan Gosling, Julianne Moore, Emma Stone, Marisa Tomei and Kevin Bacon.

From the team who brought you the great I Love You Philip Morris and also wrote Bad Santa (but also Cats and Dogs) and starring the guy who used to be in the US Office ("Why did he have to leave...") and also Ryan Gosling who I last saw blow my mind in Blue Valentine by being amazingly charming and tremendously annoying all at once, and again is a film that has plenty of other famous faces to be looking at.

Larry Crowne - dir. Tom Hanks
Starring: Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts

Tom Hanks co-writes (with Nia Vardalos) directs and stars in this movie about a man who loses his job and goes back to college. Will this capture the Zeitgeist and the hearts of the world or just simply be pure pants, who knows?

Coming Soon...

2011-05-06T10:30:00.001+01:00

Red Hill - dir. Patrick Hughes (Out in Ireland 20th May)
Starring: Ryan Kwanten, Steve Bisley, Tom E. Lewis

A modern day western revenge drama set in Australia (and therefore I'll watch it), starring Vinnie from Home and Away or Jason Stackhouse from True Blood depending on where you come from.

Next up here's two films coming soon with the Guillermo Del Toro touch/seal of approval

Julia's Eyes - dir. Guillem Morales (Out in Ireland 20th May)
Starring: Belén Rueda, Lluís Homar and Pablo Derqui

Del Toro produces this film about a woman convinced her sister's suicide was something far more sinister.

Don't Be Afraid of the Dark - dir. Troy Nixey (Out in U.S. late August)
Starring: Katie Holmes, Guy Pearce, Bailee Madison and Alan Dale

Del Toro co-wrote this remake of a 1973 TV movie, and with a seemingly low budget (US$12 million) was still able to attract Katie Holmes and, not one but two ex-Neighbours stars, in the shape of Guy Pearce and Alan (so what I'm in every single US show) Dale. The film centres around a young girl who goes to live with her father and his new girlfriend and then has to fight off creatures in her new home who want her to become of their own.

TDMTLTUT #50 - Rodney Dangerfield - Rappin' Rodney

2011-05-06T10:00:00.004+01:00

For the fiftieth one of these I've gone big, that's right folks, Rodney Dangerfield Rappin'.
Also keep an eye out for Andy Kaufman of all people in this.

Coming Soon...

2011-05-05T20:16:00.001+01:00

Captain America: The First Avenger - dir. Joe Johnston (Due out in Ireland 29th July)
Starring: Chris Evans, Hugo Weaving, Dominic Cooper, Stanley Tucci, Tommy Lee Jones.

The latest in a line of Marvel movies is due out soon, after liking Thor I am slightly more intruiged by this film, although I am hoping the Benjamin Button like FX don't go on too long. Directed by Joe Johnston who has a mixed bag in his canon, he's directed Hidalgo, Jurassic Park III and The Rocketeer but also Jumanji, The Wolfman and Honey, I Shrunk The Kids

Bridesmaids - dir. Paul Feig (Due out in Ireland 24th June)
Starring: Kristen Wiig, Maya Rudolph and Rose Byrne.

Directed by the creator of Freaks and Geeks, Paul Feig, produced by Judd Apatow and written by Kristen Wiig herself, I'm expecting a lot from this and the trailer doesn't disappoint anyway. The film also manages to fit in a lot of familiar funny faces as well, if you're a fan of US TV comedies anyway.

Terri - dir. Azazel Jacobs
Starring: John C Reilly, Jacob Wysocki, Creed Bratton

Seems to be the kind of indie film I gobble up. C.Reilly's always reliable but I'm more interested to see Creed from the The US Office in a film, who has slowly but surely become one of my favourite characters in the show.

TDMTLTUT #49 - Hall and Oates - Rich Girl

2011-05-03T11:59:00.001+01:00

Daryl Hall and John Oates met in the same elevator when hiding from a gunfight. FACT.

Out Now - The Extraordinary Adventures of Adèle Blanc-Sec

2011-05-03T00:02:00.001+01:00

Luc Besson returns with an adaptation of a comic book series created by Jacques Tardi. Set in France in the early part of the twentieth century, Adèle Blanc-Sec, played by Louise Bourgoin, is a famous journalist and author who sets off to Egypt to find a mummy who can help her save her sister while also having to take care of a recently hatched pterodactyl that's rampaging around Paris, surely I've got your attention.

While not perfect in the slightest, it is good clean fun (well 12A, there's a bit of nipple...) and enjoyably silly. It's not quite Indiana Jones, which is what it seems to be compared to the most, but then again, what is?

The film also stars Mathieu Almaric, although heavily disguised, as her nemesis and Gilles Lellouche, who can also currently be seen on Irish cinema screens in Little White Lies.

Showing In Dublin: Screen Cinema - Cineworld

Have You Met... Sonny & The Sunsets

2011-05-01T23:48:00.000+01:00

San Francisco band Sonny & The Sunsets have been one of the most pleasant musical discoveries I've had this year (thanks Colm R), which is unfortunate because last year's album "Tomorrow Is Alright" would have featured high up in my favourite albums list if I had known about it. The album reminds me of Velvet Underground and Jonathan Richman, but there's also a lot more going on, hear for yourself below on "Death Cream" and "Too Young To Burn"

Their follow up album is "Hit After Hit", released last month, which manages to live up to its title with every song smelling of a classic pop formula while still feeling fresher than most daisies, and perfect for the good weather we're currently enjoying. So check out "I Wanna Do It" and "Teen Age Thugs" to whet your appetite.

Singer Sonny Smith also managed an amazing feat, he came up with a 100 fictional band names, sent them onto to graphic designers who came up with artwork for each, and he then wrote 2 songs (an A-Side and a B-Side) for each band and put all of this on show as part of art exhibition, 100 Records, I suddenly feel very lazy.

http://www.myspace.com/sonnythesunsets

TDMTLTUT #48 - Look for the Union Label

2011-04-30T20:27:00.000+01:00

You just don't get jingles of this quality anymore.

In April I...

2011-04-30T17:52:00.000+01:00

...watched the following films:
Source Code - dir. Duncan Jones
Save The Tiger - dir. John G.Avildsen
Hard Candy - dir. David Slade
Apres Vous - dir. Pierre Salvadori
Two Lovers - dir. James Gray
Sudden Death - dir. Peter Hyams
Elektra Luxx - dir. Sebastian Gutierrez
Redbelt - dir. David Mamet
The Wolfman - dir. Joe Johnston
California Dreamin' - dir. Cristian Nemescu
Wall Street - dir. Oliver Stone
Water Lilies - dir. Céline Sciamma
The Expendables - dir. Sylvester Stallone
Lock Up - dir. John Flynn
Hamlet 2 - dir. Andrew Fleming
Adventures in Babysitting - dir Chris Columbus

...also watched the following DVDs:
The Wire S2
Jerry Seinfeld "I'm Telling You For The Last Time" Live on Broadway
Louis C.K.: One Night Stand
Young and Handsome: An Evening with Jeff Garlin
Harry Hill in Hooves: Live

...listened to the following music:
Sonny & The Sunsets - Hit After Hit
Tennis - Cape Dory
The Vaccines - What Did You Expect From The Vaccines?
Cass McCombs - Wit's End
Vivian Girls - Share The Joy
Bell X1 - Bloodless Coup
The Head and the Heart - The Head and the Heart
The Phoenix Foundation - Buffalo
PJ Harvey - Let England Shake
Fleet Foxes - Helplessness Blues

...read the following books (been a while since I've read one):
Richard Herring - How Not To Grow Up
Patton Oswalt - Zombie Spaceship Wasteland
Sarah Silverman - The Bedwetter

...also saw Peter Kay at the 02 Arena

You gotta see this ... Slap Shot

2011-04-25T21:31:00.004+01:00

In 1977, Paul Newman teamed up with director George Roy Hill again, having previously worked together on Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid and The Sting, this time to make a movie about a failing hockey team managed by Reggie Dunlop (Newman) who hears the club may be sold and who tries to turn things around by getting the team to play dirty and get violent at every opportunity on and off the ice, hoping to attract the crowds. For anyone who knows nothing about ice hockey the opening scene explains it all for you.

The film comes across like the ultimate guys movie (even though it's written by a woman, Nancy Dowd) and like a lot of movies from the seventies is rough and at times slow paced, but is worth watching for Paul Newman's performance alone (apparently it was his favourite movie that he worked on), however if you need another reason to watch then look no further than the Hanson Brothers (don't start!), played by real-life hockey players Jeff and Steve Carlson and David Hanson, who manage to bring the brainless brawn that Newman was looking for, the scene below perfectly encapsulates what I'm talking about.

Michael Ontkean, the sheriff from Twin Peaks if anyone is asking, is the only voice of reason among the team, however his disillusionment with the team is only matched by how he feels about his marriage. The movie manages to portray the many characters that make up the players, the owners and all involved in the sideshow of professional sport both cynically and affectionately, and was clearly a forerunner and direct influence on other sports comedies like Major League which nearly shares the same plot. The film also has Maxine Nightingale's classic "Right Back Where Started From" at nearly every turn, what more could you possibly want?

Matt Berry - Take My Hand - Official Video

2011-04-19T11:56:00.000+01:00

Get the album Witchazel

In March I...

2011-03-31T22:33:00.000+01:00

...watched the following films:
Going The Distance - dir. Nanette Burstein
Eat Pray Love - dir. Ryan Murphy
Body of Lies - dir. Ridley Scott
Fair Game - dir. Doug Liman
Tango & Cash - dir. Andrey Konchalovskiy
Another Year - dir. Mike Leigh
Cadillac Records - dir. Darnell Martin
Hall Pass - dir. Farrelly Brothers
Cry Baby - dir. John Waters
Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work - dir. Ricki Stern, Anne Sundberg
Let Me In - dir. Matt Reeves
Changeling - dir. Clint Eastwood
Blow Out - dir. Brian De Palma
Rumor Has It - dir. Rob Reiner
Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call - New Orleans - dir. Werner Herzog
Essential Killing - dir. Jerzy Skolimowski

...also watched Dexter S5

...bought the following music:
Matt Berry - Witchazel

...saw Man Utd beat Marseille 2-1 and Bolton 1-0 at Old Trafford
...saw Ireland beat Macedonia 2-1 and lose to Uruguay 2-3 at the Aviva

TDMTLTUT #47 - Shake N Vac

2011-03-24T20:17:00.000Z

For a brief time in my youth, this ad made me want to do the hoovering, complete with a song that wouldn't have sounded out of place on the Rocky Horror soundtrack.

R.O.C.K. in the Grand Canal

2011-03-20T16:10:00.004Z

That's right John Mellencamp is coming to town apparently! An Evening with John Mellencamp will take place at the Grand Canal Theatre, Tuesday 28th June 2011.

The gig is going to be split into three parts, a docu-film about recording his last album, No Better Than This, and his take on the current state of the United States, followed by an acoustic part with a small combo and then the rest of the night with a full band. So only thing you need to consider is whether it's worth paying between €59 and €82 for the pleasure, tickets are onsale Friday 25th Mar at 9am.

TDMTLTUT #46 - Noxzema Shaving Cream Ad

2011-03-17T17:32:00.000Z

I'm running out of songs to put up here, so going to open up this section a bit to include all sorts of bits and bobs.
Here's a classy ad from 1967 and whoever said ads are too racy nowadays obviously never saw this.
Harry Hill's TV Burp fans might recognise the music, "The Stripper" by the David Rose orchestra.

Matt Berry - Witchazel - Out Now

2011-03-14T22:07:00.000Z

You may know him as that funny guy from Garth Marenghi's Darkplace, The Mighty Boosh, Snuff Box, The IT Crowd, the voiceover guy from Ant & Dec's Push The Button, his show on Absolute Radio, hell he was even in Duncan Jones' "Moon" if you paid attention but the man also excels as a songwriter. His first album Opium was great, as was his music in AD/BC: A Rock Opera, he now has his second album Witchazel out now. Check out Take My Hand from the album below.

In February I...

2011-02-27T22:57:00.000Z

...watched the following films:
Triangle - dir. Christopher Smith
127 Hours - dir. Danny Boyle
The Fighter - dir. David O Russell
Submarine - dir. Richard Ayaode
Biutiful - dir. Alejandro González Iñárritu (first time in the Light House, believe it or not)

The Christening (Chrzest) - dir. Marcin Wrona

Paul - dir. Greg Mottola

Get Smart - dir. Peter Segal

True Grit - dir. Joel & Ethan Coen

Inside Job - dir. Charles Ferguson

The King's Speech - dir. Tom Hooper

The Big Uneasy - dir Harry Shearer

I Love You Phillip Morris - dir. Glenn Ficarra, John Requa

Death Race - dir. Paul W.S. Anderson

Upside Down: The Creation Records Story - dir. Danny O'Connor
Cemetery Junction - dir. Ricky Gervais, Stephen Merchant
Lily Sometimes - dir. Fabienne Berthaud
Cedar Rapids - dir. Miguel Arteta (Surprise film in JDIFF)
Potiche - dir. Francois Ozon

...bought the following music:
Gruff Rhys - Hotel Shampoo
Dr. John - Definitive Pop Collection

TDMTLTUT #45 - Edison Lighthouse - Love Grows (Where My Rosemary Goes)

2011-02-20T15:25:00.000Z

All the way from 1970...

In January I....

2011-01-31T21:37:00.000Z

...watched the following films:
The Brothers Bloom - dir. Rian Johnson
Nine to Five - dir. Colin Higgins
Nine - dir. Rob Marshall
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs - dir. Phil Lord/Chris Miller
Love & Other Drugs - dir. Edward Zwick
War - dir. Philip G. Atwell
Blue Valentine - dir. Derek Cianfrance
It's Kind of a Funny Story - dir. Anna Boden/Ryan Fleck
Priceless - dir. Pierre Salvadori
The Heartbreak Kid (1972) - dir. Elaine May
Long Weekend (2008) - dir. Jamie Blanks
Gamer - dir. Mark Neveldine/Brian Taylor
Best Worst Movie - dir. Michael Stephenson
Winnebago Man - dir. Ben Steinbauer
The Notorious Bettie Page - dir. Mary Harron
The Last Station - dir.Michael Hoffman
Paper Heart - dir. Nicholas Jasenovec
Conviction - dir. Tony Goldwyn
The Dilemma - dir. Ron Howard
Black Swan - dir. Darren Aronofsky

...watched the following:
Dexter - Seasons 1-4
The Trip
Karl Pilkington: An Idiot Abroad
Richard Herring: Hitler Moustache
Breaking Bad - Season 1

...bought the following music:
Sonny & The Sunsets - Tomorrow Is Alright
Sonny & The Sunsets - The Hypnotist EP
Jim Noir - Zooper Dooper EP
Mayer Hawerthorne - A Strange Arrangement
Jonny - Jonny

Jameson Dublin International Film Festival 2011 - Tickets On Sale

2011-01-28T01:16:00.003Z

Festival this year runs from the 17th to the 27th of February, I've bought my tickets anyway and will be going along to the following films:

Submarine - dir. Richard Ayaode

~~Good Cake, Bad Cake: The Story of LiR - dir. Shimmy Marcus~~ (Cancelled)

The Christening (Chrzest) - dir. Marcin Wrona

The Big Uneasy - dir Harry Shearer

Upside Down: The Creation Records Story - dir. Danny O'Connor
Potiche - dir. Francois Ozon
and the annual surprise film.

Get the full list of films here - http://www.jdiff.com/index.php/events/
Get your tickets here - http://jdiff.ticketsolve.com/shows/2011

2010 Video Roundup - Janelle Monáe [feat. Big Boi] - Tightrope

2011-01-21T13:14:00.002Z

directed by Wendy Morgan

2010 Video Roundup - Ted Leo & The Pharmacists - Bottled In Cork

2011-01-21T13:10:00.000Z

Directed by Tom Scharpling. Features Paul F. Tompkins and John Hodgman among others.

2010 Video Roundup - Shad - Rose Garden

2011-01-21T13:07:00.000Z

Cheeky video, pays off at the end.

Directed by: HotDogGarbage

2010 Video Roundup - OK GO

2011-01-21T13:03:00.000Z

Their brilliance at making music videos is getting quite annoying, this year they manged to make two of the best.

This Too Shall Pass

dir. James Frost, OK Go and Syyn Lab

White Knuckles

dir. Trish Sie and OK Go

2010 Video Roundup - LCD Soundsystem - Drunk Girls

2011-01-21T13:02:00.000Z

Just reliased I never finished this roundup off! I've started, so I'll finish.

dir. Spike Jonze

Jonny - Candyfloss

2011-01-18T13:24:00.002Z

Full album "Jonny" out 28th Jan, currently €4.99 pre-order through itunes.

Adventures in Movie Watching 2010

2011-01-01T23:24:00.002Z

Right so here's my favourite 20 films of the year, please note this list is from December 2009 to December 2010 as I don't usually go to the cinema in December, so I catch up with these movies during the year. Anyway if you disagreed with my list of favourite albums prepare to be even more perplexed by this list.

20. MacGruber - dir. Jorma Taccone. Right so straight off I've lost a lot of you, but I thought this was great. Don't get me wrong a lot of the humour wasn't subtle in the least, but it made me laugh a lot. The film is actually too good parodying certain action films that there are large parts of the film that drag and are nonsensical, in the action movie tradition of "Did I just see that? Did someone actually think that was a good idea?", but this film also contains the funniest sex scenes of all time.

19. Le Concert - dir. Radu Mihaileanu. An enjoyable comedy centering around a band of Russian musicians pretending to be the Bolshoi orchestra after an unfairly disgraced conductor, now working as a cleaner there, intercepts an invitation from Châtelet Theater in Paris for the Bolshoi to perform and decides to go for it and gather his old band mates and go to Paris himself. Plenty of jokes about the old USSR abound and touching performances from Aleksey Gusov, Dmitri Nazarov (he's a chubby Howard Moon, Boosh fans!) and Melanie Laurent make this an extremably watchable film.

18. Crazy Heart - dir. Scott Cooper. Jeff Bridges' Oscar winning performance and the amazing soundtrack are obviously the most noteworthy things about this movie, however I must say this is only the second time I can ever say that I was genuinely impressed with Colin Farrell's acting after In Bruges.

17. A Prophet - dir. Jacques Audiard. Following on from The Beat My Heart Skipped, Audiard returned with another film about criminals, this time centering on an immigrant who gets mixed up in the French jail system. Powerful performances all round make this a complelling watch, however sequences of a dead person talking to the main character was a little too jarring or theatrical for me considering how gritty the rest of the film was.

16. A Single Man - dir. Tom Ford. Colin Firth stars as a middle aged academic struggling to come to terms with the death of his lover, played by Matthew Goode (Watchmen, this and Leap Year! what a couple of years). The film is beautifully shot, and looks amazing throughout as do most of the characters, which is why it's slightly annoying when everyone constantly keeps telling Firth he looks terrible. In saying all that though the film is very effective when dealing with a man torn between holding his emotions and feelings in check and wanting to deal with the pain and grief he feels, which he at the time isn't allowed to openly, and it is this that Firth pulls off brilliantly.

15. Kick-Ass - dir. Matthew Vaughn. When I watched this I loved the audience's reactions to it, constantly being shocked at the violence and the presence of an eleven year old girl in most of the action, even though let's face it, there's far worse out there. Loved Nic Cage's Adam West tribute and also good to see to him being funny again. Also liked the fact the main character doesn't make that good a superhero as it turns out that the mentally damaged characters are much much better, don't know if that was what I was meant to take from it though.

14. Gentlemen Broncos - dir.Jared Hess. From the team that brought you Napoleon Dynamite and Nacho Libre was probably enough for this film to get greenlit but not to get people to go see it. Hess creates another odd world of weird quirks but this time sets it in the world of fantasy fiction where a struggling celebrated author Ronald Chevalier steals a kid's novel that he finds while teaching a workshop and passes it off as his own. The scenes from the novel are played out on screen with Sam Rockwell playing the main character with a fair amount of relish and he really looks like he's enjoying it as does Jemaine Clement as Chevalier, but Mike White as the weird neighbour with the snakes nearly steals the whole show. If you hate Wes Anderson's style you should really test yourself against this!

13. Greenberg - dir. Noah Baumbach. Ben Stiller plays a character struggling with himself and the world and looking after his brother's house. He manages to over-think everything in his life to a point where he sees no sense in doing anything, however he does try and reconnect with his old life, friends and girlfriend with mixed and mainly painful results. Hope for him comes in the shape of his brother's nanny played by Greta Gerwig who seems to accept him for who he is, which immediatley scares him. Baumbach and Stiller and Gerwig's character manage to make you feel sympathetic to him by the end of the movie or at least see where he's coming from even if its clear he can't figure out where he's going.

12. Dogtooth - dir. Giorgos Lanthimos. A haunting Greek film that deals with the craziest family ever on screen. The parents seem intent on keeping their children locked away from all the dangers of the world and constantly lie to them and it's this censorship of reality and the rest of the world that leads to more problems than you can ever imagine.

11. Micmacs - dir. Jean-Pierre Jeunet. The first of two films on the list to deal with terrorism in a slightly cartoony way, Jean-Pierre Jeunet returned with an as always fantastically cinematic and visually arresting film. It centres around a man whose father was killed by a mine, and who then in turn is accidentally shot by a bullet while working in a video store one night, who decides to take on the two weapons companies involved, after he meets up with a gang who live in the local dump. Sounds crazy? Well it is, nothing in this film is grounded in reality at all and that's why it works as far as I'm concerned.

10. Exit Through The Gift Shop - dir. Banksy. Speaking of reality this 'documentary' about street art, or is it about Thierry Guetta, a man who compulsively filmed all of the street artists at work, or is it about taking on 'the documentary' itself, what is real or can be made look real, or an attack on the commercial end of art, the power of hype or all of the above? Doesn't really matter, it's as interesting, and even as fun as you could have hoped for when you walked in.

9. Four Lions - dir. Chris Morris. Other than the fact that this is about terrorists you could say this belongs to the blueprint of classic British comedies from the fifties or Ealing era. The film is basically a bunch of bungling idiots trying to pull off a heist, but in this case it's a bombing. I always warm to comedies dealing with people who think they're smart but clearly aren't and in this case every single thing they say and do is so idiotic that you forget that this is actually a dark subject matter. "Fuck mini babybels" as a rally cry against the oppressive capitalist West tells you what you're dealing with!

8. Jackass 3D - dir. Jeff Tremaine. My only 3-D cinema going experience so far and I'm so glad I waited for it to be a film that involves a dildo being shot at the camera. At moments arty, purely scatalogical at others, it never fails to keep you engrossed or just simply grossed out.

7. Where the Wild Things Are - dir. Spike Jonze. Heartbreaking, a film that manages to captures a moment of everyones youth brilliantly and fantastically, when you have to begin to mature and have to deal with different emotions and the world. With Spike Jonze involved you knew this was going to look great anyway, but as its seen through the eyes of a child the film is weird one to try and connect with, you'll be rewarded if you can.

6. Scott Pilgrim Vs The World - dir. Edgar Wright. A movie based on comic book that looks like a computer game and is a romantic comedy, no wonder people didn't get it. Those who did were in for a treat, everything in this film is both effortlessly cool and geeky at the same time, even the music. While the basic premise of the movie, fighting off seven evil exes, meant the film was going to feel weird and repetitive Wright manages to keep everything going at a breakneck pace. If you take the film as a metaphor for emotional baggage (I did, by him dealing with her evil exes and getting annoyed by her emotional baggage and past, he's in turn creating more for her), then the only problem I have with the film is that Winstead's character doesn't seem that messed up or put out by it all.

5. Cyrus - dir. Jay & Mark Duplass. While clearly not the balls out, belly laugh comedy that its trailer suggested this film is still very very funny. John C. Reilly plays a man who's life is stuck in a rut, but who manages to meet and fall in love with Marissa Tomei's character, however her sheltered clingy son, Jonah Hill doesn't want to share her. What could have been just a strange collection of pychos is actually quite touchingly played out and human.

4. The Kids Are All Right - dir. Lisa Cholodenko. Again another indie film misleadingly advertised as a full on comedy, this little dramedy dealing with the teenage kids of a lesbian couple who track down their biological father, and who by his very presence threatens the life they've built up together. A film that could have been overearnest or melodramatic, or even a really bad culture clash comedy is thankfully heartfelt and perfectly judged. It also features an amazing Annette Bening and Mark Ruffalo on top form, the two combining to make one of the cringiest scenes in a long time when Bening's character starts singing Joni Mitchell at the dinner table.

3. The Social Network - dir. David Fincher. With the sheer amount of dialogue and the speed of its delivery you could be forgiven for thinking you were watching a screwball comedy from the thirties, but you were indeed watching a modern day morality tale about the birth and development of Facebook, which incidentally was quite funny. Every shot looks amazing, the soundtrack is great, everyone's acting their balls off, and just when you think Fincher seems to be playing it quite straight you find out that the twins aren't twins they're actually played by the same guy, through editing and CGI, mindblowing. The reason the film really works for me though is because there are no bad guys or good guys in it, everyone is kind of a douche and it showcases how everything goes wrong once money and social status get involved.

2. Winter's Bone - dir. Debra Granik. You might need to wear your winter coat watching this film, the cold Missouri locations are so vivid that you may feel a chill. A film that's quite unsettling in its protrayal of a rural, barren, drug riddled outback in America is not for the faint hearted. The films deals with a teenager who looks after her mother and younger siblings, at all costs, is tasked with finding her father who didn't turn up for a court apperance. Let's just say people don't jump to her help and she's met with violence and confrontation at nearly every turn. Featuring outstanding performances from Jennifer Lawrence and John Hawkes who, if all is right with the world, will need to be picking out their Oscar outfits.

1. Inception - dir. Christopher Nolan. Probably my favourite cinema going experience in many a year, my head spinning from every new bit of information and plot twist and just the sheer cinema making bravado on display. Christopher Nolan delivers the most cerebral heist movie you're ever likely to see which also means you have to watch the movie a number of times. The ability to design worlds and reality parallels moviemaking in general (he seems to use motifs from Bond movies especially) and by setting up such a complex movie and plot within dreams means every plot hole can be brushed under the carpet or ignored (GIVE IT A GO HATERS!)

Previous Winners:

2009 - A Serious Man - dir. Joel & Ethan Coen

2008 - The Dark Knight - dir. Christopher Nolan

2007 - The Darjeeling Limited - dir. Wes Anderson

In December I...

2011-01-01T15:32:00.000Z

...watched the following films:
Four Lions - dir. Chris Morris
Exit Through The Gift Shop - dir. Banksy
Splice - dir. Vicenzo Natali
Monsters - dir. Gareth Edwards
The American - dir. Anton Corbijn
Back To School - dir. Alan Metter

...got the following long players:
Face Dripping - Euros Childs

...saw Man Utd beat Arsenal 1-0 at Old Trafford

...saw the following gigs:
Belle & Sebastian @ The Grand Canal Theatre
Vampire Weekend, Arcade Fire @ The O2

My Year In Music 2010 - Top Ten Albums

2010-12-28T21:18:00.005Z

*Each fave track has a link so you can listen to them*
My Year In Music 2010 - Albums 40 - 31
My Year In Music 2010 - Albums 30 - 21
My Year In Music 2010 - Albums 20 - 11

10. The Coral - Butterfly House
A comeback of sorts after the departure of one of their guitarists Bill Ryder Jones, The Coral continue to be one of the best bands in Britain yet no one seems to ever notice. On this album produced by John Leckie, they add to their trademark sound, the song Butterfly House is pastoral folk pop for instance, and maintain their gift for undeniable melodies and hooks.
Fave Track - 1000 Years

9. Best Coast - Crazy For You
Fuzzy, lo-fi indie popsurf rock you say?....I'm in. An album that evokes, equally, sixties girl pop and early nighties guitar rock is always going to earn affection from me, both remind me of when I was thirteen and was a complete sucker for songs pining for someone or something stitched to melodies that won't leave your brain. This album reminded me of so much music I was into at the time (Belly, Weezer to name just two) that its straightforwardness is easily forgiven and becomes a virtue rather than a vice in my book.
Fave Track - Goodbye

8. Edwyn Collins - Losing Sleep
In his fiftieth year Edwyn Collins unleashed his seventh solo album and is as good as anything he's done previously. His first album recorded since his serious illness this could have been very heavy indeed, instead he's kept his trademark wit and catchy guitar lines on show. Featuring guest apperances from half of Franz Ferdinand, Roddy Frame, Johnny Marr, The Cribs' Ryan Jarman and most of The Drums this album has a guest list nearly as impressive as a Gorillaz gig.
Fave Track - Do It Again

7. Vampire Weekend - Contra
Album no.2 from Ezra and the gang and anyone who hated their first album would almost definitely hate this as well, but that's their loss. The band return more confident judging from the almost surreal mixtures of sounds, styles and beats on show here. The music on this album is as sunny, exciting and wilfully energetic as could be possibly hoped for, and most importantly of all, fun to listen to.

Fave Track - Cousins

6. Gorillaz - Plastic Beach

It amazes me how cohesive this album is considering how varied the guest performers are on this album (Snoop Dogg, De La Soul, Bobby Womack, Lou Reed, Mark E.Smith and Gruff Rhys to name just a few for f*ck sake) so credit must go to Albarn for keeping it altogether and for making an interesting deep, melancholy pop album that never fails to engage.

Fave Track - Superfast Jellyfish

5. Tindersticks - Falling Down A Mountain
Staples and co. returned with Falling Down A Mountain. The template's the same as anything they've done (smoky vocals, duet with a female singer, moody instrumentals, etc.) but that's just fine because no one else can quite do what they do and this is also the brightest they've sounded in a good while, almost playful even, once the six minutes mood-a-thon of the title track is over with.
Fave Track - Black Smoke

4. She & Him - Volume 2

Zooey Deschanel and M Ward return with more classic girl pop (which I've already stated I'm a sucker for) with the little hint of country. M Ward's production yet again helps Deschanel's songs (and a couple of covers) take flight and even more impressively than the first time round and he also lends his vocal styles on this one. The lush opener Thieves goes straight into the piano hook led In The Sun and Don't Look Back and the rest of the album is as pretty as Deschanel herself (sorry, it's true though!). Overall, nearly flawless, like herself (ok I'll stop...).

Fave Track - In The Sun

3. Beach House - Teen Dream
Dreamy alright. One of the most strangely seductive albums released in a good while, you can't help but fall in love with what you're listening to. It really should be the soundtrack to some sexy European vampire horror flick from the sixties such is the atmosphere of most of the songs that have more lovely guitar work, spooky, dreamy keyboards and moody vocals than really should be allowed.
Fave Track - Norway

2. MGMT - Congratulations
This could have been number one to be honest. Pushing the boundaries of what their sound is has seemed to alienate most of their original fanbase and their record company, but they really should be applauded for making an album as full of ideas and playfulness as this. Every song is bursting with ideas, at the point where you've think you've got a song figured out or looks like running out of steam they manage to pull another addictive melody out of somewhere. Every song on the album stands up on its own as well.
Fave Track - Song For Dan Treacy

Drumroll please......

1. Lawrence Arabia - Chant Darling
Beating MGMT to number one purely for it's sheer doggedness, this album has probably soundtracked this last year more than anything else I've listened to. Hailing from New Zealand, James Milne has crafted a playful album that is packed full of great pop hooks, americana, witty and occasionally self deprecating lyrics and also reveals something new on every listen. Again each song is a lesson in songcraft and showcases just how to craft a tune. To name just a few of the highlights on here, there's the strange falsetto jangle pop of Apple Pie Bed, there's the cute mocking of hipsters on The Beautiful Young Crew, tropical beats on Auckland CBD, Pt Two, the beautiful horn tinged jaunty sing along of Eye A, the epic The Crew of the Commodore and also the brilliantly titled and executed country rock of I've Smoked Too Much.

Fave Track - I've Smoked Too Much

My Year In Music 2010 - Albums 20 - 11

2010-12-28T18:22:00.003Z

*Each fave track has a link so you can listen to them*
My Year In Music 2010 - Albums 40 - 31
My Year In Music 2010 - Albums 30 - 21

20. Mavis Staples - You Are Not Alone
Another now-tro album that was produced by Jeff Tweedy and you can definitely smell his cooking on this album, a couple of songs could have fit on Sky Blue Sky quite nicely like title track You Are Not Alone but benefit more from someone older and with a bigger voice singing them.
Fave Track - I Belong To The Band

19. LCD Soundsystem - This Is Happening
An album that could have been crushed by the hype surrounding it when it was released managed to do that rare trick and be better than you hoped it could be. Having been a very late-comer to James Murphy's music (in doing this list I realise I ignore a load of bands because of hype!) I can't really compare it to his other releases but all I know is this is an album that you can constantly have on repeat and not get tired of it too quick
Fave Track - You Wanted A Hit

18. The Rags - A National Light
After a few promising E.P.s and singles, The Rags finally released their debut album and didn't disappoint. This album is full of great catchy guitar riffs and hooks, and their sincere, sharp and poetic lyrics deal with modern day Ireland for the most part and they even namecheck some of Ireland's great writers of the past, questioning what they'd make of it all now on the title track. Razors and Ropes, Murderous Chant, Gatling Gun and Love is a Lie are also as good as anything you'd hear on any other album this year.
Fave Track - Gatling Gun

17. Magic Kids - Memphis
From Memphis Tennessee came one of the most sunshine drenched albums of the year with it's Beach Boys-esque harmonies which will either cause you to smile or get really annoyed. With myself being the former, this album provided me with plenty of songs to sing and clap along to.
Fave Track - Hey Boy

16. Villagers - Becoming A Jackal
Definitely the Irish success story of the year, this album could have been your typcial singer-songwriter album, but he manages to have a varied enough sound throughout the album, which is all the more impressive considering he played all the instruments on the album himself. It's his seemingly innate sense of a melody and just sheer songwriting skill that shines out from the album and also hints at a lot more to come.
Fave Track - The Pact (I'll Be Your Fever)

15. The National - High Violet
The thing that's interesting for me about the National is that they are a stadium rock band in small venue band's body. There are touches of U2 and bands of that size but they never get to be anywhere near that cringey or embarrassing, and all of their songs remain heartfelt and genuine. Their staure in music reminds me of REM before they went absolutely global, and if that's the case be interesting to see where the next album takes them.
Fave Track - Anyone's Ghost

14. The Roots - How I Got Over
The Roots just keep on doing it, and doing a lot of it. Supporting John Legend this year and being Jimmy Fallon's house band just simply isn't enough for them they had to come out with another superb album, which while spelling out how bleak things are at the moment there is a bit of hope, and some good tunes. Also features Joanna Newsom, Jim James, Dirty Pojectors and a load more else.
Fave Track - How I Got Over

13. Arcade Fire - The Suburbs
The "Still-Got-It" album from the Candians was met with almost universal praise by most critics and fans, but I must admit it took a long while for me to warm to it. Songs like Sprawl II, Modern Man and Ready To Start were strong enough to keep drawing me back to the album and listening to it in full. Watching them live, at The O2 recently, confirmed they are probably still the most essential live act going.
Fave Track - Modern Man

12. Aloe Blacc - Good Things
How To Make It In America may have been pants (that's a bad pun for people who've seen the show, it's Entourage about people making designer jeans and t-shirts) but the opening credits was soundtracked by this man's I Need A Dollar which was a modern day soulful blues song about being jobless and broke and is probably my song of the year. The album is of similar calibre with Loving You Is Killing Me, as good as any R&B song you'll hear, and his mind-blowingly brilliant cover of the Velvet Undergrounds Femme Fatale being highlights.
Fave Track - I Need A Dollar

11. Janelle Monae - The Archandroid
If you told me at the start of the year that an R&B concept album based around the film Metropolis would have been one of my favourite albums of the year, I probably would have punched you in the face, or at least not talked to you again. So imagine my complete shock and surprise that this album is so damn good. Everything single thing on this album is interesting to listen to and most of it very very catchy and showcases a songwriter without any boundaries.
Fave Track - Wondaland

Now for My Year In Music - Top Ten Albums

My Year In Music 2010 - Albums 30 - 21

2010-12-18T16:58:00.011Z

So part two of four of my favourite 40 albums of the year. You may wish to read My Year In Music 2010 - Albums 40 - 31 first.

*Each Fave Track has a link so you can listen to it*

30. John Grant - Queen of Denmark
Got to admit I knew nothing of the man before listening to this, I had heard of the Czars but never listened, and was also intruiged to hear a Midlake album I might enjoy after not really liking The Courage of Others. This album marries classic 70s singer songwriting but with nicely sharp and incisive lyrics and an amazing voice.

Fave Track - Sigourney Weaver

29. John Legend & The Roots - Wake Up!
A covers album (well one original) of socially conscious soul songs from the 60's and 70's might not seem that great an idea on paper but it really works. Inspired by Barack Obama's 2008 election and the mood of the USA at the time, John Legend, The Roots and others set out to cover lesser known soul songs. While there is a Marvin Gaye cover, I was mostly ignorant of the rest of the songs, so I probably got to enjoy it more than if I knew all the originals.
Fave Track - Our Generation (The Hope of the World)

28. Allo Darlin' - Allo Darlin'
An album that is pure classic indie pop could be too twee for most but is so well crafted it should definitely be listened to. It's just one of those albums that instantly puts a smile on your face mainly due to a certain innocence to the lyrics and music that echo artists such as Belle & Sebastian, Jonathan Richman, The Magnetic Fields and Jens Lekman. Putting them in that company should be recommendation enough (or warning depending on yourself) .
Fave Track - If Loneliness Was Art

27. The Morning Benders - Big Echo
Hailing from California but based in New York, The Morning Benders realesed their follow up to 2008's "Talking Through Tin Cans" on Rough Trade. The album starts off brilliantly with "Excuses" and maintains a similar quality throughout. Their video for Promises is cool as well by the way.

Fave Track - Excuses

26. Surfer Blood - Astro Coast
An album that immediately reminds you of nearly every guitar band you ever liked is pretty cool in my book. With flavours of Pavement, Weezer and many more this album hits you straight on and makes you wanna either pick up your guitar again or just play the tennis racquet in front of the mirror, the choice is yours.

Fave Track - Swim

25. Laura Marling - I Speak Because I Can
The oldest sounding 20 year old (and I mean that in a good way) returned after her debut "Alas, I Cannot Swim" with another solid album. "Devil's Spoke" and "Rambling Man" are just two songs that quite clearly show a growth in her songwriting and sound which may have been helped by working with Ethan Johns, and suggests that an amazing album from her is only around the corner.

Fave Track - Rambling Man

24. Deerhunter - Halcyon Digest
At the start of the year Deerhunter were a band I only really knew existed rather than listened to, but after seeing Bradford Cox at ATP this year in his Atlas Sound alter ego I was won over and gave this a go and found some simply brilliant melodies and straight up tunes when I must admit I was expecting a sonic barrage instead, which was nice.

Fave Track - Memory Boy

23. The Divine Comedy - Bang Goes The Knighthood.
Neil Hannon returned to his more well known nom de plume after his concept cricket album. With songs like the hear-it-once-and-it's-not-leaving-your-head-ever "At The Indie Disco", "Assume The Perpindicular", "The Complete Banker" and "Neapolitan Girl", it's safe to say his gift for writing expertly crafted chamber-pop songs is still intact, as is his gift from being heartfelt one minute and sharply satirical the next.
Fave Track - Neapolitan Girl

22. Josh Ritter - So Runs The World Away
The Idaho native returns with possibly his most diverse album. Gone mostly are the light touches of humour and fun little wordplays, that made him such an easy songwriter to like early on in his career (like I don't think the man could write a song like Me & Jiggs now), but his ability to write songs that sound epic and whose lyrics are more eloquent and evocative has obviously grown, personally I would love to see the two combined somehow.
Fave Track - Southern Pacifica

21. Charlotte Gainsbourg - IRM
Produced and mostly written by Beck, this album was meant to mirror the experience of an MRI that Gainsbourg had to experience after suffering a cerebral haemorrhage, but in saying that the album is lot more easy to listen than going through that experience I'd imagine, The album does contain a lot of what you'd expect from Beck's albums, but she does manage to make the songs her own.
Fave Track - Trick Pony

My Year In Music 2010 - Albums 20 - 11
My Year In Music 2010 - Top Ten Albums

2010 Video Roundup - John Grant - Chicken Bones

2010-12-18T14:26:00.001Z

Possibly my favourite video of the year, filmed in Wales by Casey Raymond and Ewan Jones Morris, this video shows how tough it is being a tortured superhero and even gives The Dark Knight a run for its money...

2010 Video Roundup - Surfer Blood - Floating Vibes

2010-12-18T14:06:00.001Z

Surfer Blood Public Access TV!

Dir. G. Warner

2010 Video Roundup - The Apples In Stereo - Dance Floor

2010-12-18T13:53:00.001Z

With special guest star, Apples In Stereo's album owner Elijah Wood. Good tune and this video feels not retro but now-tro to quote legendary folk artist Mark Shubb

Dir. Greg Gilpatrick

My Year In Music 2010 - Albums 40 - 31

2010-12-12T23:13:00.004Z

This year I'm going to do a top forty list and then split it into four posts to get my blog entries up a bit.
So here's 40-31 then.
*Each fave track has a link so you can listen to them*

40 . Josh Rouse - El Turista
In fairness this album could have been called "Let's Get Ready to Rumba" if Josh was from Newcastle, beacuse on this album he takes his inspiration from Spain rather than classic Americana or American pop. He covers Cotton Eyed Joe and on I Will Live On Islands evokes Paul Simon's Graceland, no bad thing you'd agree.

Fave Track - I Will Live On Islands

39. Belle & Sebastian - Write About Love
I still can't get over that I don't really like this album too much, because it's probably their most confident album, so perhaps that's maybe why. As much as I enjoyed the God Helps The Girl album, I did tire of it pretty quickly and a lot of this album sounds too much like it or at least in the same vein. I really need to hear a Stevie Jackson solo album as well, because yet again it's his contribution I enjoyed the most.
Fave Track - I'm Not Living In The Real World

38. Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin - Let It Sway
The Missouri four piece released their third album towards the end of the summer on Polyvinyl Records and it was another fine collection of hooks and harmonies, the kind you wish Weezer would be making right now.

Fave Track - Sink/Let It Sway

37. Ed Harcourt - Lustre
His fifth album, but his first on his own Piano Wolf Recordings label, is probably his best album, it is extremely atmospheric as Ed himself points out "It's got horns, violins, howling, mellophones, the Langley sisters, barks, whistles, hell I even sung down by a creek in the middle of the night". What more could you want ?

Fave Track - Heart of a Wolf

36. The Black Keys - Brothers
I must admit I ignored this album for ages but was won over by their video for Tighten Up. A fine blues record that is complimented by a fine mix of styles. There's falsetto, a harpsichord, classic glam 70's rock drums and much more to keep you interested, the fact that it is an hour long is its only drawback.

Fave Track - Too Afraid To Love You

35. Cotton Jones - Tall Hours in the Glowstream
A description of a band's music as psychedelic Americana may send some people running but they'd be missing out some pretty impressive songs. The band started as a side project for Michael Nau, previously of Page France but this has since become his full time gig which is more than fine by me.
Fave Track - Somehow To Keep It Going

34. The Apples In Stereo - Travellers In Space and Time
The album on which Rob Schneider (not that one) & Co go all ELO on our ass and who knew that would turn out to be such a great idea. There are other influences at work here you can hear Disco, Hall and Oates and they all combine to make a brilliant album that their label owner Elijah Wood would be proud of.
Fave Track - Nobody But You

33. Teenage Fanclub - Shadows
The Fannies return for their ninth album and prove their tunesmith abilities aren't going to abate anytime soon. There are great moments on this album like Baby Lee and Sometimes I Don't Need To Believe In Anything but overall it wasn't really the album I was anticipating, still good though.

Fave Track - Baby Lee

32. Adam Green - Minor Love
Gone is much of the childish humour that first drew me to his work but it's replaced by some fine Lou Reed-esque songwriting as heard on songs like Buddy Bradley and What Makes Him Act So Bad, and an album that contains 14 songs and then clocks in on or around the 32 minute mark and makes you feel like you're not getting cheated is always impressive.

Fave Track - What Makes Him Act So Bad

31. Field Music - Measure
Measure from the Sunderland brothers Peter and David Brewis proves just how good they are and justifies its length as a double album which was the biggest surprise to me. Due to it's size and scope they manage to cram in all sorts of music, from classic rock to XTC to Kate Bush and lots more, all the good stuff from the past basically but make it sound fresh, which is really hard to do.

Fave Track - Them That Do Nothing

My Year In Music 2010 - Albums 30 - 21
My Year In Music 2010 - Albums 20 - 11
My Year In Music 2010 - Top Ten Albums

2010 Video Roundup - Hot Chip - I Feel Better

2010-12-09T11:53:00.001Z

This video needs to be watched and the less I tell you about it the more you'll enjoy it, although I will say it's fitting putting this up before the X Factor final on Saturday and also that it's directed by my favourite twitterer and comedian Peter Serafinowicz

2010 Video Roundup - Tindersticks - Black Smoke

2010-12-08T18:38:00.000Z

Tindersticks kept their trademark sound intact for their last album, but they added David Kitt to their ranks. This is a quite straightforward performance video, but it looks bloody good at least.

dir. Iain Forsyth and Jane Pollard

2010 Video Roundup - The Black Keys - Tighten Up

2010-12-07T18:27:00.000Z

Doughnuts and fighting, what more do you want?

Directed by Chris Marrs Piliero

2010 Video Roundup - Best Coast - When I'm With You

2010-12-07T12:43:00.000Z

Anyone fancy a Ronald MacDonald lookalike as a partner??

dir. - Pete Ohs

A lot of free music if you want it....

2010-12-06T21:46:00.000Z

There is a new Noah and the Whale song free to stream or download called "Wild Thing" from their impending album "Last Night On Earth". http://noahandthewhale.com/

Hal are back and have a new song called "Down In The Valley". http://halmusic.bandcamp.com/

Atlas Sound are giving away four volumes of their "Bedroom Databank" on their blog. http://deerhuntertheband.blogspot.com/

Then lastly, Euros Childs (he of Gorky's Zygotic Mynci and soon to be Jonny fame) has a new album out and you can download it for free or be nice and throw him a few quid, or pay for the physical CD to be sent to you, the choice is yours. It's called "Face Dripping " and you can get it from his new The National Elf Library. http://www.euroschilds.com

Not a bad days work....

2010 Video Roundup - The Morning Benders - Promises

2010-12-06T20:56:00.000Z

I'm going to get lazy with this one and just say it's Tarantino meets CBeebies.

Directed by Aaron Brown and Ben Chappell

TDMTLTUT #44 - Talking Heads - This Must Be The Place (Naive Melody)

2010-12-06T20:46:00.001Z

Taken from the iconic concert film Stop Making Sense, this is still one of the greatest songs of all time and should actually be prescribed as an anti-depressant in all truth.

Below, see a before-they-were-famous MGMT do a very playful version.
Glad to see they struggle to sing the same bits I do!

2010 Video Roundup - Gruff Rhys - Shark Ridden Waters

2010-12-06T18:47:00.001Z

Gruff's lead single off next year's album "Hotel Shampoo" immediately lodged itself straight into my brain and has refused to leave since. In fact the song is so good, he played it twice at his solo gig recently, first just on the acoustic and then second time round with the backing track on vinyl and also a series of loops, pedals and all sorts of random instruments. Anyway, the video deals with a man so blinded by social networking that he doesn't notice anything else going on around him, but despite the technology still manages to have the feel of old school European art house movie and stars himself and also French actress Roxanne Mesquida

dir. Peter Gray

2010 Video Roundup - Vampire Weekend - Cousins

2010-12-05T12:42:00.000Z

Vampire Weekend's lead single off Contra, came with a video as energetic as the song, which is only fair. It's a great watch which you'd expect from Garth Jennings or Hammer & Tongs responsible for Supergrass's "Pumping On Your Stereo" video, R.E.M.'s Imitation of Life and movies such as The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy and Son of Rambow

2010 Video Roundup - She & Him - In The Sun

2010-12-04T13:11:00.001Z

dir. Peyton Reed.

Zooey Deschanel and M Ward keep it light in this video from the director of "The Yes Man" and she gets to show off her dancing skills, her hula hoop skills and her amazing ability to reduce men to jelly with a wink. M Ward does solid phone work and shows off his guitar chops. All in all, a pleasant experience all round.

2010 Video Roundup - MGMT - Flash Delirium

2010-12-03T14:19:00.000Z

This crazy horror video directed by Andreas Nilsson seems to echo David Cronenberg's best work, but also I'm hoping the soldier with the one arm is a reference to Harold and Maude, could be just me though. Anyway enjoy the craziness.

2010 Video Roundup - Brandon Flowers - Crossfire

2010-12-02T21:35:00.001Z

Taken from Brandon's solo album "Flamingo" and starring none other than Oscar Winner Charlize Theron. Of course, if you ask me, they could have saved on the budget and got in Yvonne Strahovski, considering this video is basically the end of most episodes of Chuck from series one. Not that there's anything wrong with that, just saying is all.

dir. Nash Edgerton

2010 Video Roundup - Arcade Fire - The Suburbs

2010-12-02T12:29:00.001Z

This Spike Jonze directed video comes across like a mix of Larry Clark (minus the underage sex obviously) and the Smashing Pumpkin's "1979" video gone bad and is all the better for it.

2010 Video Roundup - SSLYBY - Sink/Let It Sway

2010-12-02T00:20:00.004Z

So basically gonna post a video I liked from the year most days this month, while I draw up my end of year lists. First one up is from the brilliantly monikered Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin and the title track from their album "Sink/Let It Sway". Has a very simple gimmick to it, but they're always the best ones, and even echoes Point Break, and who doesn't like that movie?

dir. Brook Linder

TDMTLTUT #43 - The 5th Dimension - Working on a Groovy Thing

2010-12-01T20:06:00.002Z

In November I...

2010-12-01T14:10:00.001Z

...watched the following films:
The Kids Are All Right - dir. Lisa Cholodenko
Cirque de Freak: The Vampire's Assistant - dir. Paul Weitz
Cop Out - dir. Kevin Smith
The Social Network - dir. David Fincher
MacGruber - dir. Jorma Taccone
The Class (Entre les Murs) - dir. Laurent Cantet
RED - dir. Robert Schwentke
Easy A - dir. Will Gluck
Jackass 3D - dir. Jeff Tremaine
Due Date - dir. Todd Phillips
Despicable Me - dir.Pierre Coffin, Chris Renaud
My Life In Ruins - dir. Donald Petrie
Up - dir. Pete Docter, Bob Peterson
G-Force - dir. Hoyt Yeatman
Franklyn - dir. Gerald MacMorrow
Pretty Maids All In A Row - dir. Roger Vadim
Big Bad Mama - dir. Steve Carver
She's Out of My League - dir. Jim Field Smith
The Cocoanuts - dir. Robert Florey, Joseph Santley
Kenny - dir.Clayton Jacobson

...bought the following long players:
This Is Happening - LCD Soundsystem
Good Things - Aloe Blacc
Lustre - Ed Harcourt
Travellers in Space and Time - The Apples In Stereo
How I Got Over - The Roots
Wake Up! - John Legend & The Roots
BARB - BARB
Early In The Morning - James Vincent McMorrow
You Are Not Alone - Mavis Staples
Minutes - Jogging
Fight Softly - The Ruby Suns
I See the Sign - Sam Amidon
The Arch Android - Janelle Monae

..saw Man U beat Wolves 2-1 in Old Trafford
and Ireland lose 2-1 to Norway in the Aviva
and Gruff Rhys in the Sugar Club

TDMTLTUT #42 - Elvis Costello - Everyday I Write The Book

2010-11-14T21:59:00.000Z

"Even in a perfect world where everyone was equal
I'd still own the film rights and be working on the sequel"

Gruff Rhys builds Hotel Shampoo

2010-11-09T12:59:00.002Z

New Farrelly Brothers - Hall Pass

2010-11-08T15:04:00.000Z

Starring Owen Wilson and Jason Sudeikis among others. Out early next year.

TDMTLTUT # 41 - Chad & Jeremy - The Truth Often Hurts The Heart

2010-11-07T23:49:00.000Z

Chad & Jeremy were a British Invasion duo who seemed to have a knack for getting themselves on to TV shows. This clip is taken from the Patty Duke show, but they also made it onto the Dick Van Dyke show and even Adam West's Batman. They also wrote "A Summer Song" which made it onto the Rushmore soundtrack, which is where I heard of them.

brainfart

2010-11-03T12:37:00.000Z

"If You're Going to San Fran, Sisqo......"

Free Jonny Ep and a free Gruff Rhys song if you want them

2010-11-02T22:31:00.001Z

Jonny, for those who don't know, are the combination of Euros Childs of Gorky's fame and Norman Blake of Teenage Fanclub fame. They've decided to write songs together and announced a self-titled debut which will be released on the 31st of January on Alsatian Records. If you can't wait that long, single "Candyfloss" will be out on the 17th January, if you can't wait that long they've very kindly put up an EP of non album tracks for you to download for the paltry sum of your e-mail address. Go to http://www.turnstilemusic.net/euros-childs-and-norman-blake-aka-jonny-announce-debut-album-details/ where you can get the tracklisiting of the album, cover art and of course the free songs.

Also Gruff Rhys has put up a tune from his next album "Shark Ridden Waters" on http://www.gruffrhys.com again just for the cost of your email adress. Video for the tune below.